Passion
by Trinity23Rose
Summary: Lex and Clark are in love with the same girl - Julie. What if jealousy made Clark the bad one? LEX/OC\CLARK
1. Chapter 1 THE REDHAIRED GIRL

I came to Smallville over a month ago and I already had friends.

Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan had been the one who'd taken care of me when I'd been completely lost here, showed me the town and explained everything.

It was a really weird town though. Strange things were happening here all the time and Chloe told me they were all caused by the meteor shower.

* * *

><p><em>My name is Julie Andrews and I'm 20 years old red-headed girl. Me and my mom just moved to Smallville to leave the past behind us. My past – at least the recent one – was dark and painful. I actually don't remember a bunch of weeks of my life, my mother told me that I repressed those memories and she didn't want to say anything else. The last thing I remember before the dark hole in my memory is that my father got mad. Very mad. And then… I remember how a couple of weeks later he hang himself and of course - died.<em>

_We moved to forget and to start a new life._

_And maybe I should add that I come from a very rich family._

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think? Should I do that?" I heard Clark asking Chloe about something when I entered the foundation she was running.<p>

"Do what exactly?" I asked making Clark jump in surprise. "Everything's alright?" I asked a little confused.

"Yes, sure," Chloe said smiling to me. "Everything's perfect. Clark had something to do."

"Yes, I did," he turned to the exit.

I looked at him still surprised with his unsually weird behavior.

"Oh… and… Julie…" he started, "ehm… will you come to the Talon tonight?"

"Yeah, sure, I have nothing to do anyway. This town's very beautiful, but so small…" I shrugged.

"Great," he said. "Then I'll figure out something exciting. Don't worry!... Now I have to go, I promised Lex I'll meet him in the cave. Again. I don't know what is it with him that he just won't let go of it."

"Maybe he feels there's something out there worth discovering," I suggested.

I hadn't actually met Lex yet, but I knew he was Clark's best friend and I knew his story with the meteor shower and lack of hair.

Actually, I would really like to meet him.

"I don't think so... see you later…" Clark was gone.

"What's his deal?" I asked Chloe.

"He's… just worried… nothing important."

"Chloe, you know something, don't you?"

" And I'm also very good at keeping somebody else's secrets."

"OK," I got frustrated.

* * *

><p>At the right hour I went to the Talon.<p>

When I was about to go inside some car's horn scared me and I jumped looking at the source of this noise. Then I bumped into someone and was almost knocked off my feet.

"Hey, easy…" I heard a very nice sounding voice. "Are you alright?" he put his hands on my shoulders to keep me straight.

Then I looked at him.

He was bald.

Lex Luthor.

We looked each other in the eyes and… had I ever felt something like that before? Some kind of electric sparks running through my body.

He let go of me and asked:

"Are you new in town? I haven't seen you before and I keep showing up in this place a lot."

"Yes, I'm new. Juliet Andrews," I reached out my hand to shake his. Again. Electricity. Did he feel it too?

"Oh, wait… you must be Clark's new friend! He's talking about you a lot and when I'm asking when I would get to meet you he usually don't say anything. I had the impression he didn't want us to meet."

I smiled.

He smiled too.

Oh, God! Help! Is there something like love from the first sight? I never believed it, but now… those feelings…

"So you must be Lex Luthor," I said.

"Yes. Shame on me that I didn't introduce myself… listen… do you want to grab a cup of coffee or something?" he pointed the Talon. "We're here anyway, so…"

"Yeah, sure," I agreed and couldn't stop smiling.

"So, let's go inside…"

* * *

><p>"<em>Is she talking to LEX?" Clark was sitting by the table with Chloe and looking through the window. "They're smiling to each other!"<em>

"_They probably figured out that they have a mutual friend," Chloe said calmly sipping her coffee. "Come on. They had to meet eventually."_

"_But I was supposed to be the one who'd do the honors."_

"_Why did you stall so long?"_

"_It may sound weird, but I bet that Julie's in Lex's type."_

"_And you are jealous?" Chloe raised her eyebrows. _

"_Exactly!"_

"_Ah… with Lana's out of town for good you're lonely, it's normal you like he," but Chloe wasn't so happy about that after all. "I've told you before, you should've just asked her out or in the beginning, you know... just to grab some coffee. Is it so hard?"_

"_They're going inside!"_

* * *

><p>Lex opened the door for me.<p>

"After you," he said.

"Thanks."

Another smile.

We reached the counter and ordered two coffees.

"So… where are you from?" he asked while waiting.

"Actually… I'm from New York."

"Big city... and what brings you here?"

"Family matters… quite embarrassing… "

"Oh, Ok, don't worry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to…"

"That's nice, I appreciate it."

We took our coffees and found a free table…

* * *

><p>"<em>I can't believe it!" Clark exclaimed.<em>

"_Clark, shhhsss, they'll hear you!"_

"_They walked inside and… just didn't see us!"_

"_Well… they're pretty busy with each other…" Chloe started to have fun.  
><em>

"_Hey, it's not funny!"_

"_I told you to ask her out before, in Isis. You should've done it then, but you didn't so now Lex has the right. It's not like she has a label on her that says: hey, I'm Clark Kent's," she laughed clearly amused.  
><em>

"_Chloe! You don't make it any better! He barely knows her! He just met her!"_

"_He's quick, I have to admit that."_

"_I'm going up there…"_

"_Clark… don't!"_

_But it was too late…_

* * *

><p>"Yeah, and then I…" Lex stopped because Clark suddenly appeared by their table. "Oh, hello, Clark. I've just met your new friend, Julie. She's charming."<p>

I smiled.

_She' never smiles like that when she's with me! Clark thought_

"Yeah, it's nice that you two have finally met," Clark said with a strange face.

"Are you OK?" I asked him bending over the table to have a closer look at him. "Have a sit, you look… strange."

"It's ok… you two didn't see us," Clark mentioned.

"What?" Lex asked a little confused.

Chloe got to the table.

"Oh! Chloe! Have a sit!" I suggested. I couldn't just ignore my friends, could I?

"Yes, you were too busy with each other to notice us," Clark said.

"Excuse me?" Lex was shocked a little bit.

"Eee… nothing… just… Julie, I thought we were supposed to meet here tonight," he finished awkwardly.

"Yes, but it wasn't a date, was it? So… I bumped into Lex and he asked me to grab a cup of coffee and…"

Chloe looked at Clark and smiled significantly.

"Clark here is just having a very bad day," she said. "I think we'll go," she stood up. "If he's feeling bad I'd better get him home."

"OK. I hope you'll feel better soon," I said and turned back to Lex. "You were saying…?"

* * *

><p>"<em>I can't believe it!" Clark walked out of the Talon with Chloe by his side and kicked the trash bin which flew far away.<em>

"_Clark! Are you crazy? You can't do that! You're acting like on red kryptonite! Have you…?"_

"_No! Just… I think I'm in love with her!"_

"_Yeah, but did you really expect that she would wait for you when she didn't even know that you cared? I know it almost worked with Lana… but… face it, you are bad in relationships. You didn't make the first step so now the right is Lex's."_

"_I'll talk to her later. Maybe we could spend some time together…"_

_Chloe sighed._

"_Let's go… Romeo…"_


	2. Chapter 2 SUMMERHOLT

Two weeks passed by and I hadn't heard from Lex.

I thought we'd gotten along… or maybe I'd imagined it?

I liked him. I liked him too much to face the rejection right now.

"I just don't know what happened…" I said to Chloe. "We had a great time and he didn't call me. So typical… but no, not the cliché typical, because he didn't sleep with me and then dumped me… he just…"

"Didn't call," Chloe echoed. "And by the…"

"Maybe it's the age, you know?" I interrupted her.

"Julie…"

"No, listen… he's five years older than me… God, I'm sounding like crazy, aren't I?" I said supporting my cheek on my hands. "I must be… because I barely know him…"

"Julie!" Chloe raised her voice and startled me.

"What?"

"Can I finally say something?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry… go on…"

"Lex's not here."

"What d'you mean?"

"He went somewhere, I don't know where… something considering the cave. He's not calling you because he simply can't do this right now, ok?"

"And why Clark didn't tell me that last week?"

"Maybe it will sound crazy, but Clark doesn't approve."

"Approve what? Me and Lex? Oh, I'm sorry… but it's not his damn business!"

"Clark likes you and wants the best for you."

"I can take care of myself."

"Listen to me… I think you should know something about Lex…"

"You know what? I've already heard enough terrifying stories about him from Clark, you don't have to add yours."

"But you may not take Clark seriously, you will me."

"Lex isn't a bad man."

"It's in his blood…"

"Clark told me about his mental history, strange things that happened to him… jeez… doesn't he think I would rather hear all of that from Lex himself?"

"Lex may not tell you... it's all true. He's dangerous."

"But also very protective," I mentioned.

"Overprotective," she corrected me.

"Chloe… can you tell me something about the memory lost he had?" I suddenly asked because I saw a great opportunity for myself in this.

"What do you want to know?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"He was trying to retrieve them, right?"

"Yes and it was a very dangerous procedure."

"Where was he doing it?"

"In the Summerholt Institute..."

* * *

><p>The Summerholt Institute…<p>

I didn't have my memories from two weeks time. Maybe if I had them back I would find out why my dad had killed himself? I thought.

My mother hadn't told me anything. She'd just left Smallville leaving me here to be bored – especially with Lex either not around or not interested – and she'd gone to Europe. She was living there now and had a job. Great, just perfect. I didn't want to live with my mother, of course, I was old enough to start living on my own, but I knew she'd left because of that period she'd wanted to forget and I'd obviously had.

I decided I would go through with this procedure. I had to. I had to know the truth to move on.

After my first time in the Institute I didn't remember anything. They told me it might take much longer. I would have to come back there for a couple of times before my memory would be back.

And then, Lex called.

I was surprised, because I simply stopped thinking about him. I was trying to remember everything so hard that I didn't have time for any other thoughts.

We went for coffee again and again we met Clark and Chloe there. Sometimes I had the impression that they were hanging out in the Talon all the time.

"I'm sorry I didn't call," Lex said. "I was very busy and I couldn't be distracted by you, I had something important to do."

"Something with the cave?" I asked.

"Yeah… we actually believe that there's something alien out there, just don't laugh."

"That's ridiculous!" Clark exclaimed.

"Not for my scientist," Lex answered. "And believe me, I'm paying them a lot of money… Julie?"

"Yes?" I looked back at him.

"You seem… a little distracted, what is it?"

"Eh, nothing."

"Some guy?" great, now the guy I was interesting in was asking me if I was interested in some other guy!

"No!" I answered quickly and blushed a little bit. "It's something else, I don't want to talk about that."

I decided to stop seeing Lex for a while - at least until I would find out what my memory had repressed.

* * *

><p>One night I was walking down the aisle by the Talon. It was almost midnight. I was trying to remember again and then I heard them…<p>

"Look at her.."

I turned round and saw three guys. They looked like a potential threat to me and they were a threat. One of them had a gun.

I couldn't move. I got too scared, too paralized...

"Come on willingly and we won't hurt your beautiful body," one of them smiled and licked his lips.

"I love red-heads!" the other added.

"HELP!" I screamed. It was unconditionally move. I just felt an obvious threat and I screamed.

The gun was aimed at me and…

Next thing I remembered was hearing a gunshot but something pushed me and I landed up on the street and the three guys were gone.

"Everything's OK?" I heard Clark's voice.

He helped me to stand up.

"Where are those guys?" I asked.

"You mean these ones?" he pointed on the other side of the street. They were there. Knocked unconscious.

"How did you do that?"

"What? I didn't do anything. I heard your scream and when I got here they were there, unconscious and you were lying up here."

I looked at him puzzled.

There had to be some explanation!

And he obviously didn't want to tell me.


	3. Chapter 3 TREATMENT

"Chloe… you do know something, don't you?" I asked like for the hundredth time.

"Julie… stop…"

"Clark is hiding something and he doesn't want to tell me, he doesn't even want to tell Lex…"

"Wait a minute! You asked LEX about that?" she got mad at me.

"What's the big deal? They're friends!"

"Julie… I'm sorry… but it's not my thing to tell… it's Clark's and please… respect his privacy and don't talk to Lex about him!"

"Why?"

"Just… don't."

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

They didn't trust me. They didn't even trust Lex.

And I'm sorry, but what kind of a friendship was that when they didn't know almost anything about themselves? Clark had warned me about Lex. Why? If he was really a true friend of his, he would had said something completely different!

* * *

><p>I went to the Summerholt Institute for the fourth time. I was already sick of this stupid treatment. I didn't remember anything! Why would this time be any different?<p>

Be careful what you wish for… yeah, but you always realize it when it's too late.

This time it worked…

My mother was right, I would prefer not to remember that!

One minute I was lying in the green water with some stupid cables stuck to my forehead and the next… I was in my house. The old house.

_My father had been drinking and also taking some drugs._

_It'd been getting worse and worse and then… two weeks later…_

_He'd tried… he'd tried…_

I was sure that I cried when this memory appeared in my head.

_"Come here… darling… you're so young and beautiful… your body… so…"_

_I'd moved back… I hadn't wanted him to touch me…_

_"Honey… come on… mother's not here, she'll never know…"_

OH MY GOD! OH MY FU...

My own father had wanted to… rape me.

That was right.

_He'd gotten closer and touched me, then I'd taken one of the wooden figures from our furniture and hit him hard in the head._

_I'd knocked him unconscious and ran away._

_The next thing had been finding him hung by his neck on the rope under the ceiling._

I opened my eyes and started screaming.

My body hurt and it had nothing to do with the memory that had just come back to me. It was something else.

"She was out there for too long!" I heard the voice of one of the guys that was taking care of the procedure."'You said she could!"

"I saw on the monitor an unusual brain activity and that meant that her memories started coming back! We had to keep her there a little longer so she could remember everything…"

"For the price of her life? You are a fuc... idiot!"

"JULIE!" I suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"LEX? What are you doing here?"

"PULL HER OUT OF THIS!" Lex was scared. No, that was a bad word, he was terrified.

Oh my God… I was going to die!

I felt somebody pulling me out of the green water and covering my body with a blanket – I was wearing a swimming suit.

Then somebody took me in his arms and carried me out of the room.

I looked up and I saw Lex's face.

"Lex…" I whispered reaching my hand to touch his cheek.

"You'll be alright, Julie… I'll take you to a hospital…"

"I saw it… I remember… Lex… my father wanted to rape me…" I cried.

"Did he…" he asked even more concerned.

"No… I knocked him unconscious and then he killed himself… so there you have it, I said it. You know my past now."

"Hold on, Julie…"

He ran on the street to his car.

"F**k!" that was the first time I heard him cursing.

"What?" I whispered. I was shivering. I was losing my consciousness. I could feel it.

"An accident," he said. '"We won't be able to drive… there's a very nasty accident on the road… the hospital is close… hang on!"

That was the last thing I remembered.

He took to me to the hospital and he was caring me in his arms the whole way…


	4. Chapter 4 SAVIOR

"You should've called me!" I heard Clark's voice in the distance.

"And what? You would take her there faster than me? Clark… there was nothing you could have done!"

"But she could…"

"Clark… I reached the hospital on time and they took care of her."

"So why is she in your mansion?"

Mansion? I opened my eyes.

I was lying in a bed, but not mine… I carefully sat up and looked around. The stained-glass windows… It was the mansion. Clark was right.

Lex had saved my life, taken me to hospital in his own arms and then he'd taken me here.

I didn't yell to them. I didn't want Clark here right now, I only wanted to talk to Lex alone.

Lex opened the door to my room.

"You're awake," he smiled. He looked tired and worried.

"My savior," I said to him smiling.

Clark walked inside right after him and I could swore that his face strangely changed when I said the word 'savior'.

"Julie, how are you? Are you OK? Why did you do that?" he asked me.

"I didn't say anything," Lex informed me. "I thought it was your decision to make whether to tell them."

"Them?" I raised my eyebrows looking at Clark and Lex.

"Yeah, Chloe was here, but she had to go, work."

"Oh…"

"And I didn't know whether you told me everything because you really wanted to or maybe you just were…"

"I wanted to," I reassured him, "…and I think…"

"It wasn't your fault and there is no shame in telling us the truth," Lex added interrupting me. "My father did a lot of even worse things."

"What did your father do?" Clark asked me already a little concerned.

"He was trying… he… he was trying to rape me," I said and looked down.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Julie…" Clark honestly said.

"I'm fine now, he won't hurt me again, he killed himself."

"You remembered that too?"

"No, I knew that… I just didn't want to tell earlier…"

"It's OK."

"Can I rest now?" I asked looking significantly at Clark.

"Do you want to come back home?" Clark proposed.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you want," Lex added.

I looked back at Clark, then I looked at Lex.

I finally knew the truth so I wanted to give Lex a chance. I felt something and I couldn't let it go.

"No, I'm fine, I'll stay here…"

Clark sighed and went to the door, Lex right behind him.

"Lex… could you stay for a moment… I wanted to tell you something before you go…"

"OK."

I was finally left alone with him.

"What is it?" he sat on the edge of my bed.

"I wanted to thank you. You saved my life," I bent over and kissed his cheek. The same one I'd touched when he'd been carrying me.

"Are you really that tired?" he asked and winked at me.

"Not really… I just wanted to talk to you. Without Clark."

"Understandable," he smiled. "Why did you do that? You should've come to me." He pulled one strand of my hair back behind my ear. It was such a gentle and delicate gesture. He couldn't not feel the same, could he?

"I managed to do this by myself," I said honestly.

"And that was the reason why you were so distracted…" he giggled. "I thought you met some guy."

"I didn't… meet anybody new," I said carefully.

"You know… I wouldn't have helped you go through with this, I would've tried to convince you not to do this."

"Why?" I asked surprised.

"Because it's dangerous and you saw those men out there… they didn't even know what they were doing! And… I know I did that and I also know that Chloe was the one who told you…"

"She didn't know I would use th…"

"…I know… anyway… I regret that I did it. I didn't find out what I really wanted to know. It turned out that I repressed some other memories and what was worse… I thought my whole life that I accidentally killed my younger brother, Julian. I found out that it wasn't me, it was my mother who wanted to save him from my father's influences. How sad is that? I took her fault because I knew my father would've killed her… me… I was the only heir he had so… so he just hated me instead."

"Oh… I'm so… so sorry," I said honestly and suddenly found myself hugging him. "You must have been through hell." It was so horrible! Lionel Luthor must be the devil in human flesh. I understood now why my friends were worried, they saw a young Lionel in Lex, but... with me by his side? There was no way that he could turn out to be his father. I wouldn't let him.

"Yes," he admitted when I let him go. "Funny thing is… how honest I am with you. I've never been so honest with anybody ever before."

"I'm glad."

"Now… you really have to rest," he stood up and kissed me in the forehead. "I'll be back later with some food."

"Wait…" why hadn't I thought about this before? "What were you doing out there? In Summerholt. You heard my scream..."

"I have a bunch of scientists making experiments on meteor rocks for me. Lucky you, I happened to be there."

"Yeah, lucky me…"

I fell asleep again with a smile on my face.


	5. Chapter 5 THE REAL LEX LUTHOR

When I finally got up and looked at the clock I was surprised that I'd slept five hours during the day! My body must had been really exhausted from this misfortune treatment.

I went to the bathroom to refresh myself and got off the room. I was trying to find Lex, but I was in his mansion for the first time and I had no idea where was his room or the living room.

I kept walking through the enormously long corridor when one door attracted my attention. There were different from all the others, black with a different lock.

My curiosity won, beside Lex had told me that he'd been never so honest with anybody like he'd been with me. What could possibly happen if I opened this door? Nothing. I could always tell him that I was lost.

I tried to get inside – I was lucky – the door was unlocked.

I faced something I would had never expected. What the hell was that?

I could understand the meteor rocks in the show-cases and the blueprints of the cave that Clark had discovered but THIS? A lot of information about Clark's family, their pictures, a simulation of Lex's accident… I hadn't been in Smallville when it'd happened but I knew that Clark had saved his life and from that moment they'd been friends. Now I was watching the weirdest thing ever… There was obviously no way that Lex hadn't hit Clark with his car and there was no way that they would had survived it, but… they'd had!

"I see you know my secret," I suddenly heard Lex's voice from behind me.

I turned round and saw him standing in the door.

"Lex… I…" was lost and went to that room? Yeah, right, because it'd really looked like the way out! I felt I had to be honest with him now, otherwise where we would go from now on? I couldn't lie to him if I wanted this to work out. "I'm sorry," I simply said. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"You want to know why I'm so obsessed with Clark?" He asked coming closer toward me.

I couldn't read anything from his face, it was too mysterious, I didn't know if he was mad at me or not…

"And probably you also want to know what kind of friend is that making me?" Lex continued.

"I don't know, but what I know is that Clark does have some secret," I said.

"Really? So you're suspecting it too?" now I could say that Lex was a little surprised by my answer.

"Yes and I know that Chloe knows it."

"And I'm pretty sure that Lana Lang knew," Lex said. "I barely knew her… we only ran a business together and never talked about anything else than the Talon, but… I investigated her when she disappeared. I think… she found out about Clark and she was in some kind of danger…"

"It's possible," I agreed.

"Now… tell me, Julie, where do we go from here?" Lex spread his arms and looked around.

"I don't know… I won't tell anyone about this," I reassured him.

"Because you… what? Why don't you want to tell them? Escpecially Clark."

"Because I want to find out what he's hiding and… I don't want you to lose a friend in the process," I answered honestly.

Lex stood there looking at me with a puzzled face.

Then he got even closer and looked me in the eye.

"Have I met my match?" he asked glancing at my lips.

"I don't know… have you?" I answered and then he suddenly kissed me.

I didn't know if that surprised me but I kissed him back. We were kissing passionately, strong and then without even stopping he raised me again and took me in his arms.

After a couple of seconds later I found myself in his bedroom. He pushed me onto the bed...

I loved it. I felt everything… passion… sparks... electricity… I'd never felt it before in such an intensive way.

I knew that was it. The one I'd been waiting for. THE man.

* * *

><p>"Wow…" he sighed after a while. "You are… goddess… so wild… so…"<p>

"Thank you, so are you..." I smiled and bent over to kiss him.

"But… If we really want to do this… this relationship… there is something that you have to know about Lex Luthor," he said seriously. "I can't keep secrets from you. I've been there and it didn't end up well."

"You mean your wife who wanted to kill you?" I asked making a strange face when saying the word 'wife'.

"Don't be so jealous, baby… That feeling… it wasn't even a half of what I'm feeling for you right now."

"That's better Now... what is it that you have to tell me?"

"You already know that I've been spying on Clark," he said, "and you have nothing against it, but there is something else and… it could make you change your mind about me… I know I'm risking everything right now… but… I need you to know the truth."

"Lex… don't you scare me like that, what is it?"

He reached to his bedside table for his laptop.

"This is one of the worst Luthor's flaws," he admitted avoiding my eyes. "I'm sorry, Julie… I knew everything from the beginning… The first time we met… I'd already known who you were… I'm sorry… I just… I have this nasty habit for not-trusting people, so I'm keep checking them up… investigating them… I did the same with you," he handed me over his laptop.

I didn't know what to say, I was too shocked. I saw my picture on the screen and... everything about me. Just… everything.

"You knew… that my father wanted to…"

"Yes."

"And you knew about his suicide?"

"I needed to check you up. I didn't want Clark to get into trouble or any danger. You have no idea how many new friends of his turned out to be… well… really bad people… infected by the meteor rocks."

"And that doesn't make you a bad guy?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I'm sorry… I know I have to fight this flaws of mine… You are… even though your family have been through some dark times… you are the one who is good and pure, I couldn't find anything about you that would make you a bad person. I need you to help me stay Lex, not my father. I know what is happening to me. I was under too much of my father's influence. Please… stay with me, forgive me and help me be the better man," he asked and I that was when I dared to look in his eye again.

They were really pleading me, begging me to take him.

I knew that what he'd done was totally wrong, but I couldn't change my feelings for him and the ugly truth was that nothing could change them. I fell in love. I was completely head over my heels… I couldn't think clearly…

"You have to promise me that you will never ever do it again to me. You will never check me up again," I said seriously.

"Of course, I promise."

"And you also have to promise that you will tell me everything. Absolutely everything. You have to be one hundred percent honest with me because otherwise this relationship… what we have… what is between us and what can be… will be ruined."

"I promise! As long as you are by my side…"

He was honest, I couldn't see any deception or lie in his eyes.

"OK. I forgive you, but only this time."

"Thank God!" he pulled me closer to himself to kiss me.

"And…" I moved back for a while. "Thank you for being honest with me in the beginning. Otherwise… I don't know if I would've been able to forgive you… but… you know…" now I was talking in kind of a joking-way. "Actually… you had sex with me first and then you told me… so that makes you who?"

"Hey, we had sex first, because I couldn't think about anything else but you… the things I wanted to tell you… just… flew away from my head."

"I'm teasing you," I said and touched his nose with mine. Then I kissed his ear and his neck.

"One more thing…" he said looking me in the eye. "Don't you care that I am and I will always be… bald?"

"Honey…" I almost laughed but I knew it was a serious case. "I love it… it makes you original… you look great… so handsome… really… maybe you wouldn't even look so good with hair."

Now he was the one to laugh.

"Clark has nice hair."

"Who cares about Clark? I have you and it's all I want and need."


	6. Chapter 6 you WHAT!

I was so glad that I'd been sleeping almost the whole previous day, because after that kind of night I would be so exhausted in the morning.

But Lex was.

We woke up about ten am and he was still very sleepy.

"Oh, look, I managed to exhaust Lex Luthor," I giggled lying with my head on his chest.

He stoke my hair.

"It takes a little bit more to make me stay in the bed and sleep…Unfortunately I have a meeting in a half an hour," he started yawing. "God..."

"You see. You are exhausted," I sat up. "Quick shower?" I suggested.

"OK, but only the shower," he smiled.

* * *

><p>An hour later I went inside the Talon with an enormous smile on my face.<p>

"Somebody has a good mood today," Chloe said waving to me from her table.

"The best!" I raised my voice.

"What's the best?" Clark just came with his coffee.

"My morning," I answered.

"Really? So you're OK? You know... after that treatment?" he sounded concerned.

"What treat… oh, yeah…" I blushed and added quickly: "I'll go to grab some coffee myself…"

* * *

><p>"<em>There is something different about her…" Clark noticed when Julie got away for a while.<em>

"_Yeah… and she didn't even remember her treatment," Chloe smiled in a mysterious way._

"_What are you going to say?" Clark asked wrinkling his forehead._

"_I'm sorry… but you have to get over her," Chloe said patting his back._

"_What are you talking about? I was just about to ask her out. Finally."_

"_Yeah, I'm sorry for myself that I'm the one who have to make you realize it, but… Clark, face it, Lex sealed the deal."_

"_What? No way…"_

"_Really? Yesterday Julie remembered the worst thing that had ever happened to her and this morning she's all happy and cheerful? And the whole time she was in Lex's mansion… it's obvious that they were together… if you know what I mean."  
><em>

"_OK, stop," Clark said._

* * *

><p>"Stop what?" I asked coming back with my coffee.<p>

"Nothing… have you and Lex…?" Clark started.

"Have me and Lex what?" I smiled again and sipped my coffee.

"You have!"

"Clark you're acting like we were in the first grade. We're grown-ups, remember?"

"Julie… Lex is dangerous…"

"Yes and that is the reason why you're actually his best friend… because you're so attracted to danger."

Chloe burst into laugh.

"Sorry…" she stopped in an instant when she saw the look on Clark's face.

"It's OK, Clark. You don't have to worry about me… I'm a big girl… beside… Lex told me everything there was to know about him."

"What?"

"Yes, every single nasty thing to know," I repeated. "He was honest with me, so I don't care. I will help him. Thanks to me he won't become his father."

"He told you that he's scared that he might?" Chloe got interested. "That is actually a very good piece of news."

"You see?"

"What is it with this constant girls' attraction to bad boys?" Clark asked.

"He's not a bad boy, he's just lost."

"Yeah… right…"

* * *

><p>It'd been a month… a wonderful month…<p>

We'd been together almost all the time and I'd been practically living in the mansion at the very beginning of my relationship with Lex. After two weeks of seeing each other he'd asked me to move in. I'd agreed and it'd turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life. I'd known that people would say it'd been too soon, but I hadn't cared. I'd just done what I'd wanted. Life was too shirt for hesitation.

Then… after the whole month of being together…

I got back home this one evening and when I went inside the living room… I was shocked.

I had the impression that I got to the flower shop instead of Lex's house.

There were thousands of red roses there.

"Wow…" I sighed looking around. Somebody was playing the piano.

I looked up there and I saw… Lex.

"Man of many talents…" I said smiling. "What's the occasion?" I asked.

Of course he'd been getting me flowers, actually pretty often… sometimes even every single day… but this… it'd never been like this!

He stood up. He was wearing a black suit.

"I saw something in some particular shop and when I saw it… I pictured myself you wearing it. I knew it was the one and I knew it was the time," I understood nothing, but then… then he kneeled on his knee and… reached out the most beautiful diamond engagement ring I'd ever seen. "Juliet Andrews… Will you be my wife? Will you marry me? I love you so much that there is no point in waiting."

I was speechless.

He stood up, quite nervous in anticipation.

I still couldn't say a word, but of course I knew that there was only one answer.

"Julie?" he hesitated and then I suddenly took his face in my hand and kissed him.

"Is that your answer?"

"Yes. 'Yes' is my answer and always has been and will be," I smiled and he smiled too. He put the ring on my finger.

"I love you," I smiled realizing that this was the first time we'd said those words to each other. Perfect timing.

* * *

><p>"You WHAT?" Clark's reaction was… well… I didn't expect THAT… or maybe I should had?<p>

"Clark, calm down, be happy for me," I was talking to him on the phone.

"Ehm… well... are you sure that it's what you really want?"

"I've never been sure about anything in my life but this," I answered.

"Oh God…"

"So… will you come?"

"When exactly?"

"Tomorrow. In the evening," and I hung up.

Tomorrow me and Lex had an engagement party.


	7. Chapter 7 OUTBURST

"Julie!" I heard Chloe's voice through the crowd gathered in the mansion garden.

I turned to her when she finally reached me.

"Beautiful reception," she said honestly. "I love it and I want you to know that no matter how much suspicious I am about Lex I'm happy for you. If you can trust him it's enough for me. I hope you will be very happy and to be honest… you two look really great together."

"Thank you, Chloe!" her speech was so touching that I smiled to her and hugged her. "It means a lot to me. I wish Clark felt the same," I sighed.

"Yeah, with Clark there's a different story."

Then I saw him. Clark. He didn't even come over to me. He was just standing in the distance, leaning against the terrace's banister.

"May I have everybody's attention, please?" I heard Lex's voice. He was standing on the other side of the terrace by our table. "Julie…?" he asked with a smile so I got to him. He put his arm around me and continued: "I've finally found the love of my life. This is Juliet Andrews, my fiancée," he announced and the guests clapped their hands. "Thank you all for coming here today on such a short notice. I realize it happened very quickly but… you cannot run away from love," he raised his glass. "Enjoy the party!"

Then he kissed me and I smiled although there was something that still bothered me and it was Clark.

"I'll be right back, honey," I said to Lex and I went to talk to my friend.

He was still leaning on the banister, but this time he was looking away, his back turned on me.

"Clark?" I asked carefully. "Is everything alright? You're acting weird… why are you so unhappy about me and Lex? What has he done to you to deserve such treatment? I think he hasn't noticed your behavior yet, but he will eventually."

Clark turned around to face me.

"You don't know, do you?" he asked.

"No, so tell me, please."

"Julie… I love you," he simply said.

I was speechless.

It was quite comical because when Lex had proposed I also couldn't had said a word, but the answer had been 'yes' and now… my answer would be 'WHAT?'

"Why are you telling me this now on my engagement party?" I asked perplexed.

"I didn't have the guts to ask you out before Lex did," he answered. "I'm sorry… maybe it would've all come out differently if I had."

"No, it wouldn't," I said very carefully as not to offend him or hurt his feelings. "Clark, I like you. I always liked you, but I would've never… loved you like that. My heart belongs to Lex."

"Clark, what is it exactly that you're doing right now?" I suddenly heard Lex's voice from behind me. I turned around.

He was standing right there.

"What the hell was that?" he was obviously mad at him.

"I needed to tell her the truth."

"Just after we got engaged?" Lex raised his eyebrows. "Clark…" he sighed, "you don't call it 'telling the truth' anymore, you can call it 'trying to steal your best friend's fiancée'."

"Lex, relax, he wasn't trying to…"

"Maybe I was?" Clark asked and I looked at him in shock.

"What?"

"Maybe… you deserve better than Lex Luthor!" he exclaimed.

"Clark, please, keep your voice down!" I hissed at him. "It's my business! I think that he deserves me more than anyone else, so please, stay out of it!"

"Julie…" now it was Lex who was trying to calm down me.

"I won't be just standing by, watching him destroying your life like he always does!" Clark continued.

"Clark, I would advise you to leave this place before you say something you'll regret later," Lex said calmly.

"Face it, Lex. You can't love. You are incapable of love," this time Clark also hurt me and he realized it because he saw it on my face.

"Julie… I'm sorry but…"

"Who is the bad man right now?" Lex asked still remaining calm or at least trying to. "The man who just simply asked the girl he liked out, the man who carried her in his own arms the whole way to the hospital to save her life, the man who told her the truth about himself no matter how it might've affected their relationship, the man who just proposed to her because he fell in love with her and had the guts to admit that or the man who was such a coward that he couldn't tell her what he really felt? The man who was so bad at relationships that he'd been moaning about a certain girl name Lana Lang for the past few years? The man who'd been always coming to me and telling ME how much he'd loved her instead of telling that to her?..."

"Lex… stop it…" I put my hand on his arm. "Let's just… Clark… go away, before you two won't be friends anymore."

"I think we won't," Clark said.

"Clark!" it was Chloe. She was standing in the distance but I could swore she'd heard everything.

"Let's go…" she tugged his arm.

"No…"

"Clark, Lex is right," she added what made Clark look at her in surprise.

"What?" he burst at her.

"Lex is right," she repeated calmly. "You'd been moaning over Lana for years before you actually made a move and you blew it. Face it. That's the truth. I told you to ask Julie out, but you didn't listen to me so… just let it go. She will be much more happier with Lex. I saw them together, they are a perfect couple. They are perfect together, do you understand? Beside… do you really want to lose your friend over a girl who doesn't even love you?" she pulled him using all her strength.

"Julie… please… don't marry him…" he asked me one last time.

"I'm sorry, Clark, I love him, I have to marry him," I answered.

I felt sorry for him. I wasn't mad anymore. He obviously had problems with relationships.

"Hm… that was… awkward," Lex said taking my hand when Clark and Chloe left.

"I feel sorry for him," I said at loud. "He's kind of shy and he will never get a girl if he…"

"If he did make a move on you…"

"I was never interested in him that way," I answered before Lex even managed to finish his question.

"OK. I'm fine."

"I wouldn't have said 'yes' to you if I didn't love you," I said. "And the only reason why I'm marrying you is love… I'm rich so I don't care about your money."

He smiled.

"Maybe I like older men, because the ones in my age are such… immature," I finished.


	8. Chapter 8 MISFORTUNE

We wanted to get married as soon as we could. Why would we wait? What was the point in waiting when the life was so short?

It took us almost the whole month to prepare everything.

I wanted to get married in the garden and Lex didn't object. It was beautiful out there so why not?

Two days before the wedding Lex went somewhere and he didn't want to tell me what he was actually up to.

It was supposed to be a surprise.

Actually, it was a shocking surprise, because when I went into the living room the next morning there was some man sitting in Lex's chair, I only saw the back of his head.

I got scared that some burglar had gotten inside and almost screamed for the security team when the chair turned to me and I saw… Lex. Lex with hair on his head.

"Lex?" I asked in shock. "Is that you?"

"You recognized me. That's a plus," he smiled and got up. "How nice, although you have never seen me with hair."

"I know your eyes… but, how the hell did you do that?" I asked. "I mean… if that was what you were dreaming of… have hair, but… it's so weird…" I admitted.

"I didn't do that for myself, I did it for you," he said making his way toward me.

"For me? Why?"

"I wanted you to have a completely normal husband. With hair. Now no one will ever think that I have a cancer again."

"Why would anyone think that?" I asked still not able to look away. He looked… so weird. I guessed I'd gotten used to his baldness so now I could as well get use to his new hair. I loved him, so none of that really mattered.

"Remember when we were in that restaurant in New York?" he asked.

"Yes." He'd taken me there with him although he'd only gone there on business. I'd wanted to do some shopping (actually for the wedding stuff, but he didn't know) and we'd eaten a dinner in this restaurant.

"So… I overheard one lady saying she was sorry for you that your husband had a cancer," he put his hands on my arms looking into my eyes.

"I don't care about what people say," I reassured him.

"So you don't like it?" he shook his head.

"I'm just saying… I love you and I don't care how you look like. You're beautiful to me either way."

"You know I've never really cared so much to go through with spmething like that."

"How did you do this anyway?" I asked strangely scared to touch his head.

"I went to the special clinic, I paid some scientists. They said if that didn't help me… nothing else would… but I guess it's OK, don't you think?"

I hugged him and finally stroked his head.

But then… something horrible happened.

"Lex…" I said scared of his reaction to come.

"What?" his smile disappeared when he saw that a lot of his hair had stayed in my hand.

"I didn't even pull…" I said having completely no idea what to do.

"What? NO!" he screamed and turned to run to the bathroom.

"Lex!" I ran after him but it was hard to run on the slight surface wearing high heels so when I finally got there… his head was already half-bald. Strands of his hair were in the sink and on his hands.

"Julie…" for the first time I saw his face like this and it broke my heart to see him suffering.

"So we know it didn't work and it never will… but Lex…" I had to took his face in my hands to make him look at me. "Lex, look at me. I… love… YOU… no matter what. We're in this together. I'm here. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe you are supposed to be bald and it's fine. It's you. You are original, my precious original. Don't try to change. Just be yourself."

"I guess I always wanted to be normal… like everybody else."

"You can't want to be normal. You're unique. You're perfect just the way you are."

"What would I do without you?" he asked pulling me close to take me in his arms.

* * *

><p>If I thought that Clark had been my only problem…<p>

Actually I sent Lex to Clark's farm. He was still important to Lex no matter what he'd done or said so I insisted them to get along beside… Lex needed a groomsman.

I was in Metropolis with Chloe, shopping. I'd already had my wedding dress – and it was gorgeous! – but she needed a maid of honor's dress. She was the only bridesmaid I had but like they said: it's quality, not quantity what mattered.

"Julie!" I heard a rather familiar voice, but… no, no way…

I turned round.

"Eddie?" I was so surprised! It was my ex.

If I could read the signs back there I would certainly postpone the wedding. First: Clark's confession, then Lex's hair or maybe I should think: Lex's lack of hair – again, and then Eddie.

One misfortune after another. I should take them for signs.

"I need to talk to you," he just said, took my arm and pulled it.

"What the hell are you doing? Get off me!"

"Hey!" it was Chloe. "Leave her alone! Who are you anyway?"

"Her ex-boyfriend."

Chloe looked at him and snorted. I wasn't kidding. She snorted!

"What?" Eddie got angrier and stopped tugging me.

"Nothing… just… Julie's marrying Lex Luthor... the most eligible bachelor in town… and what's more she's completely in love with him… don't you think that you don't stand a chance?"

I stopped myself from laughing.

"You know, Eddie, Chloe has a point."

"You will regret this, you'll see," he said.

"I don't think so."

"Come on! Julie… we loved each other!"

"Exactly… past tense! Beside… I had no idea what love was back then! I got it now. And you are not the one. I'm sorry…"

He looked at me pulling my arm again.

"Hey!" we heard Clark's voice what actually made me happy.

"Leave the lady alone!"

Clark was pretty big and muscular so he scared Eddie away pretty quickly.

"Are you OK?" Clark asked me when Eddie was gone.

"Yes, thank you."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Chloe got interested.

"Lex visited me…"

"Please, tell me you two are OK," I interrupted.

"Yes and I'm sorry for my previous behavior. You are the one who gets to decide what you want."

"Thank you," I said, "go on."

"And I wanted to apologize to you too, so Lex told me where you were."

"And you couldn't wait until we would be back?" I raised my eyebrows. "Clark, we are in Metropolis… how did you get here so fast?"

And there it was - another mystery… Of course Clark didn't tell me, he said something completely stupid instead.

* * *

><p>"Another strange thing about Clark Kent…" Lex said when I told him. We didn't keep any secrets, we were telling each other everything… even such small things like that…<p>

"Maybe he's super fast," I said laughing.

We were sitting by the fireplace, drinking red wine and I was snuggled into Lex's arms. In this position I felt that our lives were perfect. We were perfect together.

"That would at least explain why the hell he wanted me to call him so he could took you to the hospital by himself," Lex laughed too.


	9. Chapter 9 TRAGEDY

"Any pre-wedding stress?" Lex asked me this very morning.

"No… you?"

"Nope… any… I just want to be your husband already…" he smiled. "You don't even want to come back to your ex-boyfriend?" he teased.

"Are you kidding me? I want to kick him in the balls… that's all."

Lex laughed.

"You know I already don't like him, but even though… don't do this. He's just a poor boy in love."

"Yeah…"

"Because face it… who wouldn't be in love with you?" he asked putting one strand of my hair behind my ear.

"You're exaggerating," I said.

"Not at all," he kissed me. "See you by the altar."

I smiled to myself when he left the room.

Every single worry I'd had was suddenly gone, I was marrying the man I loved!

* * *

><p>Chloe came to help me prepare and then the hairdresser came to do my hair.<p>

"Aren't you the most beautiful bride?" Chloe asked satisfied turning me toward the mirror.

I was. Call me narcissistic but everything was perfect. It was my day. I was the bride so I could look the best. Lex would love it!

_The wedding bells finally rang..._

I was walking down the aisle surrendered by the most beautiful plants and flowers to meet Lex on the other side.

I noticed Mr and Mrs Kent, I noticed my mother (who, by the way, was so distant… she was happy in her own way, she came the whole way from Paris, but I noticed with great regret that there was no special bound between us, yeah, I was more like Lex than I thought), I noticed Lionel Luthor (the first time he'd actually 'found a time' to meet me had been when he'd found out that I'd been engaged to Lex, I still couldn't figure out if he actually liked me or not, but who cared? I was marrying his son, not Lionel and what more – my job was to protect Lex form his father's influences.)

Then… all I could see was Lex's face. His blue-gray eyes. My Lex. Forever.

Maybe I was naïve, maybe I still believed in the simplicity of the world, the simplicity of love, but it… wasn't simple. Never ever. Even when you were really in love… never simple… the road to ultimate happiness was always difficult…

I got to Lex and he took my hands in his. We were standing there ready to get married in front of everybody we knew.

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

What was that noise? I thought.

And then Lex's face changed. He fell right on me. I caught him and we both found ourselves on the ground.

And there was this red color. A lot. All over my dress…

"You're bleeding…" someone said.

"No… it's not me… LEX!" I screamed my heart out still holding him in my arms, not caring at all that my dress was ruined. Blood on the wedding. Very bad thing. Death at the wedding? Even worse.

I looked around still in shock.

"Clark, why didn't you do anything?" Chloe ran to him and started hitting his chest with her fists. I didn't understand anything of this. Why Clark would do something? Unless… he was superfast! But certainly not bulletproof… I thought… and what about this time I'd been attacked and Clark had 'found me'?

I saw the shooter. It was Eddie!

He was lying on the ground now. Obviously dead. Security must had opened fire to him and killed him… but too late…

"Lex…" I cried and took his head in my hands. "LEX! Stay with me!" everybody was looking at us. Every single person was a witness of our drama.

Chloe was crying in Clark's arms and still – I couldn't figure out why she was acting so strange.

"CALL 911!" I screamed so loud that everybody jumped and started doing something.

Mr and Mrs Kent got to us. They checked Lex's chest. He'd gotten three bullets.

"Please, don't leave me… hold on!" I was still crying and screaming.

His father was standing right beside us in deep shock.

The ambulance finally came and they took Lex inside, I jumped after him, I needed to be by his side all the time.

* * *

><p>"<em>Clark… how could you? You must had seen it!" Chloe was crying.<em>

"_Chloe… oh my God... Chloe… Help me… have I just killed my best friend because I couldn't stand seeing him with the woman I love?" he asked swallowing his own tears. He'd never acted like that before, he was terrified. The dark side of his had scared the hell out of him._

"_Clark… you are a good person," his mother got to him, she must had heard him, "I'm sure you are."_

"_But Chloe's right! I could've stopped it!"_

"_Clark… it's OK… we'll deal with it…" said Jonathan putting his hands on his arms, " but first we have to make sure that Lex will be alright."_

"_What if I just killed my best friend?" Clark kept repeating.  
><em>


	10. Chapter 10 TAKEN

I was sitting by Lex's hospital bed.

He was still unconscious, breathing through the oxygen mask.

I was holding his hand, I couldn't move.

How weird it must look like? A bride in a white dress with bloody stains on it was sitting by her fiancé. Not even husband, no, we hadn't gotten to that part…

I never thought I would want a revenge but right now I was glad that Eddie was dead, because otherwise I would probably go to him like right now and make him suffer. Yeah, I would go in my stained white wedding dress and hunt him down.

With no hesitation. No remorse.

Was that making me a bad person?

I didn't think so, I was just like Lex. He was right when he'd said he'd met his match.

God… what would I do if… if…

Tears came to my eyes again. I couldn't stop myself. He looked so vulnerable in this hospital bed connected to all of those machines… I could hear the constant beeping informing that his heart was still fine...

Somebody knocked on the door.

"Julie?" it was Chloe. "May I? How is he?" she asked coming inside and closing the door behind her.

"They said…" I swallowed a lot of my tears, "they said that the next few hours will decide… He was shot three times, Chloe. Three! One bullet to his stomach, one through his lung and one through his arm," I couldn't say anything more because I started weeping.

"Oh, Julie…" she got closer to hug me. "I'm so sorry…"

"Why were you yelling at Clark? What could he have possibly done to prevent all of this?" I suddenly asked. I thought that maybe the truth would just slip out of Chloe's mouth.

"I don't know," she said. "I guess… always when something bad's happening Clark's there, ready to save us, he must have some hero complex… I just assumed… I know it was stupid… I was in shock… I brought you some clothes. I thought you might wanna change," she changed the subject quickly while handing me over a sack full of my clothes. "I'm sorry… I took them from your suitcase which was ready to be taken to the plane… I didn't know where your room was…"

Ready to be taken to the plane with us to our honeymoon… I thought… eh…

"It's OK… thank you, but… I don't want to leave him…"

"I'll stay with him until you'll get back," she reassured me.

"Thanks."

When I got back from the bathroom I saw that Clark had come.

"I didn't know what to do with the wedding dress… it's ruined anyway, but…" I said and looked at them.

"Julie… how are you holding on?" Clark asked softly and got to me. He hugged me and I let him for that gratefully. I needed my friends right now. I couldn't get through all of this alone.

"I can take care of the dress," Chloe suggested.

"You are so good to me. Thank you. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"You don't have to, we're friends and it's what friends do," she answered smiling faintly and walked out of the room taking the dress with her.

I sat back by Lex's bed.

"How bad is it?" Clark asked.

"He's still here so it's a good sign," I took Lex's hand and stroked his cheek with the other one.

"Julie… I'm sorry for everything I've said to you and done to Lex."

"You didn't shoot him."

"But I said some nasty things. If you make him a better person… then maybe you should be together."

I smiled through my tears.

Suddenly Lionel Luthor burst inside.

I stood up, so did Clark.

"There is he…" Lionel looked at Lex. "Move aside, miss Andrews," he said to me.

Miss Andrews? So that was the way he was treating me? Like some stranger? Miss? He obviously wanted to emphasize the fact that we hadn't gotten married.

"What is it that you want?" I asked defensively.

"I'm taking Lex out of here," he answered.

"What? You can't do that! He's my…"

"Your what exactly?" Lionel asked sarcastically.

"Fiancé," I answered.

"Well… last time I checked it didn't make you the person who gets to decide about his health."

"You can't do this," Clark stood in his way.

"And you think you will be able to stop me? I want to save my son!" he turned to me. "I'm sorry, miss Andrews, but I need to save him and the only way to do this is to get him out of this wretched hospital and transfer him to some good clinic where my specialists will make him better."

"OK, but I won't let him go alone. I need to be by his side!" I raised my voice.

"I'm sorry…" Lionel said and two armed men went through the door. One of them caught me, the other caught Clark.

"What are you doing? You can't do this to me! I must be with him! LIONEL!" but there was nothing I could do.

Nothing.

Lex was gone.

I was broken.

I slid along the wall to the ground.

Clark got to me and put his arms around me.

"What happened? Oh my God, is he…" that was Chloe, she just got back.

"No, Lionel took him," Clark answered.

"Julie…" she squatted by me. "I'm so sorry…"

"Lionel's the devil. Devil in the human flesh," I said. "If Lex gets better… I will do anything in my power to keep him away from his father."

"Looks like our Lex got himself an angel," Chloe looked at Clark. "Isn't that great, Clark?"

What was it that I didn't know?


	11. Chapter 11 RECOVERY

One whole day passed by and I still didn't have any information about Lex's condition. I was sick of worrying. I missed him so much and I didn't even know if he'd survived whatever Lionel had prepared for him. What was it? Some experimental treatment? It wouldn't be the first time. I'd been through something like that in Summerholt so I knew how it could end up.

"Julie..." Clark got inside.

I was in the mansion, sitting in the study where Lex was mostly hanging out, by his desk.

I couldn't do anything but worrying so I was just looking on the stained-glass windows.

I turned around on the chair and looked at Clark.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Still… no messages?"

"Nope."

"Chloe's looking for him."

"She won't find him. She made a deal with Lionel once, he's careful, he won't let her spy on him again" I answered.

"Don't you dare to lose your hope."

"Clark… I know that as soon as Lex's alright he will call me or just come back to me, but… what if he's not alright? What if he dies and I won't even find out?"

"Hey, hey… you have to calm down…"

"Don't tell me to calm down!"

Well, he had to anyway. I started acting like crazy. I was screaming, I had some kind of a nerve breakdown or something because somebody sedated me and the next thing I remembered was waking up the next day in the morning.

I suddenly got to my feet and ran to the living room.

Chloe was there.

"Any leads?" I asked.

"No, sorry."

I took a shower and I was standing there for a long time… maybe an hour… I didn't know and I didn't care, but when I finally got back to Chloe she was really concerned.

"I thought that something happened to you back there in the bathroom," she said, "you have to eat something. The service brought you some food and fresh juice."

"No, thank you," I sat in the chair.

Right this moment somebody got inside. He looked like an agent.

"Miss Andrews?" he turned to me.

"Yes?" I stood up. "Who are you?"

"I'm working for Lex Luthor. He sent me. He told me to bring you to him."

"Oh my God! Does it mean that he's OK?" I was shocked and happy in the same time.

"Yes, he woke up. His father didn't want to notify you about his condition, but the younger Luthor contacted me."

"OK, let's go, there's no time to wait! I need to see him… Chloe…"

"Go. I let myself out and I'll pass the happy news to Clark."

"Thanks."

The agent led me to a helicopter which was waiting for us outside.

We flew to one of LuthorCorp's facilities.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"Classified," I heard the answer.

Hm… What was it that Lionel was working on?

The agent led me through the back door. I had no idea if we got inside legally, but we didn't get caught.

"OK, through that hallway," he pointed me the dark hall, "to the very end of it and through the door on the left. There is Lex's room. Go fast so no one sees you."

"What about you?"

"I have to go back before they notice a security breach."

"You're very good at this. You've broken inside…"

"I've just followed Lex's leads. Go!"

So I ran.

There was no alarm so I figured that the agent passed through safely.

I stopped myself by the door he was talking about and pushed it open.

It looked like a typical hospital room, but it was a little dark inside.

"Lex?" I asked.

"Julie!" I heard his voice and then I finally saw him.

He was standing on his feet, he had a bandage through his chest and his hand was still immobilized, but he was OK!

I ran to him to hug him tight. He hissed.

"My arm…"

"I'm sorry…" I whispered moving back a little.

"It's OK, it was worth it."

"Oh my God, it's really you," I said with tears in my eyes and took his face into my hands, "I thought I lost you… Lionel…"

"I know," he kissed me and after a while he moved back saying: "I woke up here and my father was the only person by my side. When I asked about you he just answered with a question: 'do you see her here?' and he didn't even want to tell me more, so I contacted my agent, because I couldn't get through to you any other way."

"I hate him. I'm sorry… I know he's your father but… I was sitting by your bed in the hospital, I didn't even want to go change my clothes so I wouldn't have to leave you, I had this wedding dress on… then Chloe came with… anyway… he just took you and pushed me away. He had two armed guards to hold me and… " I foumd myself sobbing again.

"Hey… look at me… look at me…" he placed his one healthy hand on my cheek. "I'm here. We're together. It will be OK because I will never leave you, I promise," he hugged me tight again and this time he didn't care about any pain.

"You have to stay away from him. I don't care if he saved you life."

"I will…"

"He never approved me. He's treating me like one of your whores…"

"I don't have any whores! Julie…"

"I know, it was just a figure of speech…"

"I'm pretty sure that my father has though. You know I'd seen how he was treating my mum and… I don't want to be this kind of a man."

"You aren't… Did you hear what Chloe said when you got shot? She said to Clark…"

"I know… it was weird… another mystery to Clark Kent's puzzle."

The door opened showing… Lionel.

"Miss Andrews…" he was shocked, "how did you get in here?"

"Does it matter how?" Lex said standing between his father and me. "Father… she is my fiancée, she will be my wife whether you like it or not so I expect from you a little bit of respect toward her. What you did… was unforgivable!"

"Son…"

"I'm done… I'm out of here. I don't know what are you doing in this place but I will find out and I will bring it down," he took his jacket from the bed and then he took my hand.

"Let's go, love," so we went.

"How did he cure you anyway?" I asked outside.

"I think… meteor rocks… something like that…"

"Hmm… the same that brought my memories back?"

"I'm fine… really… you don't need to worry..."


	12. Chapter 12 NOT GOING ANYWHERE

When we got back to the mansion Chloe and Clark were there, in the living room, waiting.

"Glad to see you're OK, Lex," Clark said but I couldn't not notice the strange face he made when he saw us together.

Lex was still pretty sore and I was still thinking that he should had stayed in the hospital – or in that case – laboratory bed, but he didn't want to be around his father any longer. I helped Lex got to the chair and he sat down with a hiss of pain.

"You aren't OK, Lex. Let's take you to a hospital," I suggested squatting by his laps.

"No, no hospital, they will certainly ask me how I recovered so quickly."

"But you obviously hasn't recovered," Chloe noticed.

"Comparing to the stage I was in before… I did," he said, "just call my personal doctor, he'll come and he won't be asking any questions. I need some painkillers."

"OK, just give me the number, but first… we need to get you to your bed," I said. "I'm sorry, Lex… stand up…"

He was getting weaker and weaker.

"Jesus… what did they give you back in this laboratory? You were perfectly fine a while ago!"

"As I said… painkillers… probably a lot…"

Chloe looked at Clark significantly.

He realized what she was expecting from him.

"Oh… yeah… I'll help you," Clark got closer and helped Lex. "It's ok, Julie, I'll manage to get him to his… your… bedroom by myself," I noticed the strange tone of his voice. Well… I knew that the love he felt for me wouldn't just go away so fast, but…

"Come on, you're not that strong and help is always needed," so we went.

When Lex was lying on the bed I took the phone and said to Clark and Chloe:

"I'm very thankful for your help. I'm sure he won't be able to hang out with you for a while and he really needs rest so…"

"We'll go…" Chloe said quickly and put her hand on Clark's shoulder.

They left quickly.

Sometimes I was surprised that they hadn't noticed yet that they would make such a great couple. I was pretty sure that Chloe had feelings for Clark, but Clark himself…

I called the doctor and came back to Lex.

He was still awake.

"I thought you'll be sleeping like a baby by now," I said sitting on the edge of the bed and stoking his head.

"I just… can't. I thought… if only we went through with the ceremony and now be married you would be the one who gets to decide about my health. Then my father couldn't have taken me away from you in such a brutal way."

"Lex…" I sighed, "I don't think I will ever be able to forgive him for what he's done to us… and how he's treating me, but… don't you think he actually saved your life? The doctors in the hospital weren't giving you many chances to recover… and now… look at yourself."

"I know… we went through hell and look… we've known each other for more than a month. One month and we've been through more than other couples in their whole lifetime."

"Well… from now on we'll be alright. I promise you that."

"What about our wedding? Do you still want to marry me?"

"Of course!" I said. "How can you even think I would not want that?"

"I don't know. Maybe you are a believer like me. Maybe for you it was a sign to not get married."

"You know what? I am a believer, but the only sign I saw was to actually not get married that very day. We'll do it later and everything will be completely fine and perfect."

"Great."

Somebody knocked on the door.

"Mr Luthor… Miss Andrews... I'm sorry to interrupt but the doctor is here," it was one of the guards.

"Let him in."

I stayed in the room but moved aside. To doctor came to Lex and told him to unbutton his shirt.

"Are you sure, Mr Luthor that you have been shot?" he asked looking puzzled.

I didn't understand so I got closer to them and then I saw it.

There was not a single scratch on Lex's body.

"Yes, it was… ehm… my father took care of this," Lex answered, "so it may look like a miracle, but… I'm feeling awful."

"The way you're feeling have nothing to do with your chest, Mr Luthor. It has something to do with the cure you've got. What was it?"

"Some meteor rocks, I guess."

"Hm… OK… " the doctor examined him. "Your arm also looks better, but your body is exhausted. You have to stay in bed for a few days and take these," he gave him some pills.

"A few days? I don't have a few days… I have a business to run…"

"I can take care of it," I suggested, "as long as you tell me what to do."

"You see? That is one of the advantages of having a wife," the doctor said. "I'm sorry… a fiancée…"

"It's OK, thank you."

We were left alone once again.

"I won't spent a few days in bed anyway," he told me, "maybe one or two… and… when will we eventually get married?"

"Why are you acting like this? I have the impression that this marriage is just sealing the deal for you, that if I do this you will finally calm down, but honey… I'm not going anywhere. We don't have to get married right away to be happy and be together."

"I'm sorry… I guess that is another nasty habit of Luthors… keeping the woman you love by your side by marrying her as soon as possible."

"I love you too… the same way you love me, so where I could possibly go?"

"Promise me you won't leave me, never ever…"

"Honey… even if you were a killer I couldn't… I know how terrifying it sounds but… it's just the way I feel and nothing you'll do will change that. Not ever."

He smiled and finally managed to fall asleep.


	13. Chapter 13 THREAT

Lex felt better the next day and although I told him he should stay in bed – he didn't. Men, they were always like that.

We were just sitting on the terrace – the same terrace we'd almost gotten married on – drinking the morning coffee when Lionel appeared.

I shrunk into myself and Lex must had noticed that because he stood up and faced his father hiding me behind him.

"Father…" he said.

"Lex… I hope you feel better."

"Yes, I feel perfect."

"Thanks to me."

"Maybe, but… I assume the treatment was risky as always and I could die."

"Yes, but I saved your life. You would've died anyway in that hospital."

"How do you know that? Are you God? You can't just do those things to me and my fiancée…"

"So she still is your fiancée, hah? I'm giving you two another month tops."

"I want you out of my life, now," Lex said harshly. "I don't want to see you ever again. You are not my father anymore."

"You are my flesh and blood."

"Maybe, but I am nothing like you. Do you want to know the truth? When I was closer to Clark… when he was my best friend for good and worse… I felt that Jonathan Kent was closer to being a father to me than you were and will ever be."

Slap.

Lionel just slapped Lex in the face.

I raised up from my chair.

"You just made this decision even easier," Lex answered acting like nothing happened. "Go away and don't you dare to come back."

"The next time you get shot I won't be around to save you."

"And what makes you think I'll get shot? Are you threatening me?"

"No… but people like us… they always have enemies, Lex."

"Like I said, I'm nothing like you."

Lionel sighed and turned round. He was gone within a second.

"Are you alright?" I asked Lex coming closer to him and looking at his cheek. "Are you bleeding?" then I looked at his mouth.

"Maybe a little, but I'll be fine."

I hugged him so he put his arms around me tightly.

"It's alright, my love, from now on we are alone."

"We have friends…"

"With secrets…"

"Right…" I sighed.

* * *

><p>One week later Lionel's words came true.<p>

We were sure that he hadn't been the one standing behind all of this, but it made it ever worse because… yes, he'd been right.

I was opening the mail and I noticed that I received one strange letter.

I opened the envelope and I was stunned.

_Soon… _

_You'll be dead._

I screamed so Lex ran to me as soon as he could.

"Julie?" he burst into the living room. "What is it?"

"This," I handed the letter over to him.

He read it and looked at me.

"It's probably some stupid joke. I'm getting a lot of letters like that."

"Really? Aren't you afraid?"

"I got used to it but… usually my guards inform me about it. They're always sorting my mail."

"So why they missed this one today?"

"Let's find out…"

There was nothing to find out.

One of Lex's guard… the one from the mail… was dead.

Some other man who was working for my fiancé assured him that he saw a mail man in the hall. With sorted letters.

Somebody got inside and put that letter into our mail.

It was getting serious. Even Lex admitted that.

"So, what's now?" I asked shivering a little.

"Honey, you are still here. You will be OK, trust me. You'll get your own bodyguard."

"I don't want to go everywhere with a personal bodyguard."

"Do you want to live?" Lex asked. "I'm sorry…" he added seeing the look on my face. "I just… I need to protect you. Without you…"

"I understand."

He held me tight.

Then the chief of security went inside.

"Any leads?" Lex asked letting me go.

"Nothing, I'm sorry… We've already changed the codes combination and we're checking up on the rest of our team."

"Keep it that way and better find something."

"I'm sure we will, sir."


	14. Chapter 14 THE TRUTH

"We have nothing… I'm sorry, sir," the chief of security said to Lex the next day in the morning.

"Maybe it was just… a joke?" I suggested to calm myself down. "Just like you said it was."

"I wish…" Lex sighed hiding his face in his hands. "You know… I wouldn't even care, but right now I also have you to protect so it's not just me anymore."

"We'll be fine."

"I hope… I have a meeting," he looked at his watch and got up. He bent down to kiss me and walked to the door.

I smiled. It was a false smile, but I wanted to calm him down, let him know I wasn't afraid.

I was ready go to the Talon to meet Chloe and Clark – I'd been so busy with taking care of Lex recently that I completely forgot about my friends. Secrets – no secrets – it didn't matter, I just wanted to see the two of them.

When I got there and said 'hey' to everybody my phone rang.

I didn't know this number but I answered anyway.

"If you want your lover to stay alive you will get into to the black car outside," someone said.

"Who are you?" I yelled terrified.

"What happened?" Chloe asked concerned.

"I'm the one who will be asking questions if they're necessary, now… get into the car!"

"How am I supposed to know if you really have Lex?"

"Wait until I'll text you," he hung up on me.

I was shocked.

"What is it, Julie?" Chloe asked. "Who has Lex?"

Clark's face looked… strange…

"I don't know..." I whispered like to myself when I received a text message. It was a picture of Lex. Tied up to a tree.

I jumped onto my feet and ran out of the Talon.

* * *

><p><em>"Who has Lex?" Chloe asked Clark.<em>

_"Some man. He didn't introduce himself, but he wants Julie to get into the car…" _

_"Go after her!"_

* * *

><p>When I got inside the vehicle something strange happened… the engine started by itself and the car started just... driving ahead.<p>

"What the f…?"

"Watch your language, miss Andrews," I heard the same man's voice from the loudspeaker.

"Who are you? What do you want from us?"

"I want revenge. You see… your boyfriend put me and my friend behind the bars in Bellerive."

"It's a psychiatric ward and you're obviously a psycho, so…"

"Watch out for your words, miss Andrews, I'm warning you…"

"Where is Lex?" I repeated.

"Oh, he's right beside me… I want my revenge and I will get it…"

"HOW?"

"You see… what could possibly be the most painful thing for him and you to do? You will kill him or… maybe if he gets he'll end up paralyzed… or maybe you'll even kill yourself…"

"What the F… ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" the car was still driving and I hadn't hit anything by far. It was like somebody had a remote control over it.

"Julie! Get out of the car! Jump!" I heard Lex's voice in the distance and then the stranger I was talking to hit him because I heard a slap.

"Leave him alone!"

"So drive…" the stranger said.

I tried to get out of the car, but… the door was locked. I was locked inside and I couldn't do anything to make the car stop or jump out of it.

I was going to die, wasn't I?

Then I saw a tree in the distance and… Lex was tied up to that very tree.

Now I understood the kidnapper. He'd set this whole thing up this way to make me kill Lex or…

How the hell I was supposed to stop this car? The brakes weren't working too!

Then suddenly, out of nowhere I saw a red fast-moving spot. My kidnapper was suddenly tied up to that tree instead of Lex… What the…?

The car stopped.

I looked with deep shock in my eyes at… Clark.

Clark was standing right in front of me and he was holding… the car!

How…

Then he got to my door in such a speed that I saw a red blur again.

He ripped this door out and pulled me out of the car.

Lex was standing right beside me with the same shock painted on his face.

I got to him so he put his arms around me.

"Do you want to tell us something, Clark?" he asked.

Clark looked down.

"You are special, aren't you? That cave you discovered… that cave that my scientists assumed has something alien inside… are you from out of space, Clark?"

Clark didn't say a word.

"Lex… I…" he finally started.

"And you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth?"

"And me?" I added.

"Lex… no offence, but you and your labs and examinations…"

"I wouldn't have taken you to the lab to make experiments on you!"

"Yeah, maybe… but your father would've for sure."

"I don't talk to him anymore," Lex answered.

"It doesn't matter!"

"Julie… let's go…" Lex said to me taking my hand, "maybe someday he will be ready to tell us the whole truth."

"I have to have secrets! It's too important! I'm saving people! I can't tell everybody the truth and expect..."

"You are not our friend anymore, Clark, you didn't tell us! You didn't even tell me and you claimed to actually love me," I noticed.

"I still do!"

"I don't believe it, you don't lie to a person you love," I said and turned round.

We got back to the mansion.

"Can you believe it? How did you know about this alien thing anyway?" I asked Lex.

"I didn't, it was just a sudden idea, I figured… if he denied it… but… he didn't."

"Wow… just… wow… I'm still in shock…"

* * *

><p><em>"Mr Luthor?" Clark called Lionel. "We have to talk…"<em>


	15. Chapter 15 MISSING

"What kind of other abilities can he possibly have?" I asked Lex.

We were in his dark room where he was gathering all the information about Clark, his family and the cave.

"Look at this simulation once again…" Lex said pointing at the screen. "My car must had hit him with the full speed. He didn't have a scratch on him and he also stopped your car."

"So superstrength and superspeed. That's all?"

"We don't know yet…" Lex sighed.

"Mr Luthor…" a voice came from the loudspeaker. "Mr Kent for you, sir…"

"Clark Kent?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll be right there."

"We'll be right there, honey," I added putting my hand on his arm. "I want to go with you."

"Of course," he just said and we walked out of the room. I waited until Lex locked the door and took the key.

Clark was waiting in the living room.

"Lex… Julie… I…" he started.

"Don't bother, Clark,." Lex interrupted him. "Just tell us the truth, everything you can do. Be honest if don't want to lose your friends."

"I thought I've already lost them," Clark said.

"Maybe not... Tell us everything."

"I didn't lie, I was protecting everybody!"

"Yes, you fell in love with Lana Lang and didn't tell her and that was the reason you two were such a disaster in the very beginning of your relationship, weren't you?"

"Don't you dare…"

"So it is the truth and then she found out and what happened?"

"She almost got killed protecting my secret!" Clark yelled turning his back on us.

"Where are you going?" I asked him.

"There's no point in this conversation anymore. I made a mistake coming here."

"Clark!" Lex called his name and took the sword of the wall.

I screamed when Lex just attacked him with no reason or warning.

Clark turned round instinctively covering himself with his arm.

The sword broke in a half when it hit him.

I put my hands to my mouth while Lex was just standing there with the rest of the broken sword in his hand, shocked.

Clark got mad.

"Do you really want to know why I didn't tell you, Lex?" he suddenly screamed. "I didn't tell you because I knew what the symbols on the cave meant! The picture of two entwined creatures? It's you and me! My brother will turn on me and become my ultimate destroyer! I will be the good one and you will be the bad. The villain. Is that what you two wanted to know?" Clark burst.

"What the hell are you talking about? Lex as the bad one? Please!" I said.

"And how did you find out about this?" Lex simply asked remaining oddly calm.

"I was told… by the Indians…"

Lex laughed.

"Yeah, right… it might be just rubbish or it might not be me. I have no intention to go bad, Clark, no with Julie by my side."

"I didn't want to believe in it either, but…"

"So don't! there's this thing about prophecies! You can't trust them!"

"We'll see… I think it will be better if I stay away for a while," Clark said and walked out of the room.

"Wow…" I sighed. "That was… intense… Lex… what is it?" I asked watching his face closely.

"Do you believe in it?" he asked dropping the rest of the sword on the floor. He got closer to me, put his hands on my arms and look into my eyes. "Do you believe I may be the bad one here? Just look at me... isn't it obvious?"

"I don't and I never will," I answered according to the truth. "I'm looking into your eyes right now and all I can see is the willingness to not become your father and the love for me."

He smiled.

"And that is the only prove I need," I added and hugged him.

* * *

><p>The next day after breakfast Lex kissed me and said that he would be back home at six.<p>

Now it was already seven PM and he still wasn't back…

I was worried. I felt like something had happened to him.

I tried to call him but his phone was turned off.

At nine PM I decided to go to Clark's.

"Julie… I haven't expected you here so soon and especially… not alone," Clark said surprised to see me in his barn.

"Lex didn't get back home tonight," I simply said without even a 'hello'.

"Do you have any idea what he was doing today?"

"Nope. None. He just went to work in the LuthorCorp and never come back."

"Have you called the firm?"

"Do you think I'm stupid? Yes, I have and then I called his company, they don't know where he is either."

"So why have you come to me?" Clark put some haystack aside and looked at me.

"Because I didn't have anybody else to ask for help… I mean… you're always there to save people, you even helped me once…" suddenly I lost my balance.

"Hey…" he got to me fast and hold me. "What is it?"

"Why didn't you stop Eddie at mine and Lex's wedding?" I realized now why Chloe had been so upset about Clark's behavior.

"I…" he hesitated.

Tears appeared in my eyes and I moved back.

"Julie… listen to me… I was full of jealousy and… I saw the bullet, but before I realized what I was supposed to do… I panicked and Lex got shot… and there were so many people there…"

"Bullshit!" I yelled. "You could've been even faster! They wouldn't even noticed you! Every one of them would've thought that it'd been a miracle that Eddie had missed his aim or that he hadn't been a very good shooter!"

"I'm sorry… but… don't you want to find Lex? We can talk about this later…"

"No… I heard enough," I ran out of there.


	16. Chapter 16 DECEPTION

I went to Isis to see Chloe. I was lucky, she was still there.

"Julie?" she looked at me surprised. "What happened?"

Then I realized I was crying.

"Lex… Lex disappeared… Clark… we know everything and… Clark didn't save him in the day of our wedding! I could've been Lex's wife by now… I…" I started sobbing and babbling.

"Sshh…" Chloe hugged me. "Calm down… tell me everything about Lex's disappearance…"

* * *

><p>Chloe took me home about eleven PM and as soon as we walked into the mansion one of the security men came to me.<p>

"There is a letter for you, miss Andrews," he handed me over the envelope.

"Thank you…" I almost whispered and I went to the study room with Chloe.

"What is it?" she asked when I looked inside. I took the letter and… I got pale… the paper fell on the ground.

"Julie?" Chloe got concerned.

"I… no… he couldn't…" I started crying again.

Chloe picked the letter up and read it at loud.

"Julie, I'm sorry… but did you really believe it was all real? We had fun… at least I had… like I always have with women… don't take this personally… I'm going abroad… I don't know when I will be back, but I want you out of the mansion by that time. Don't try to find me or contact me. Lex…" Chloe finished reading. "Julie, it can't be him. He wouldn't write something like that. He loves you, everyone who would look at you two would say that."

"You… don't understand…" I stammered. "It is HIS handwriting."

"What?" Chloe looked puzzled. "It's impossible…"

"It is, believe me… was I... so stupid? It couldn't be all fake… every single time he told me he loved me…" I could say no more.

"No, I don't believe it."

"I don't want to believe it either... but…" my heart was ripped out and shattered, cut. I was bleeding inside. "I have to get out of here," I said.

"You can stay with me if you want… you can also go to Clark's farm… his parents are in Metropolis for the weekend."

"OK… I'll go to your place."

But when I got there it only got worse. I couldn't breathe. I was crying all the time. I couldn't believe it, but the evidence was so clear.

Chloe called Clark and then she checked up that handwriting...

It wasn't fake. It really was Lex's.

Clark came and he was my friend again. I needed friends right now, so I didn't care anymore if he could had saved Lex that day. Lex evidently didn't want me anymore…

"Julie… everything will be alright, you'll see… we'll take care of you…"

"You might've been right… maybe he is the villain after all," I was still crying my heart out…

* * *

><p><em>Earlier:<em>

_Clark called Lionel once again._

_"Everything's fine?" he asked._

_"Yes, we're ready."_

_They took Lex when he was leaving his work place – exactly before six PM. _

_They sedated him and drove… to Bellereve._

_When they got there they drugged him and made him write the letter…_

_When Lex finally woke up from his nightmare he was in another… he was in Bellereve…_

_"What the hell?" he screamed to his father and Clark standing outside his cell._

_"It's for the best, Lex," Lionel said._

_"What?"_

_"You're seeing things that aren't there," Clark added._

_"What things?"_

_"You think that Clark here is an alien," Lionel shook his head. "What a nonsense, son."_

_"He is! He can't be hurt!"_

_"Really?" and Clark showed him the cut on his skin. "You attacked me with your sword and I barely escaped from this!"_

_"I did, but you broke it in a half!" Lex screamed and used all his strength, but the bars were, of course, unmoved. "How can you do this to me? You want Julie, don't you?"_

_"She doesn't want to see you, you terrorized her!" Lionel raised his voice. "How could you do that to this beautiful young girl?"_

_"I didn't do anything! Ask her! She'll say the same thing!"_

_"Really? Do you remember that she told you she was pregnant and you pushed her from the stairs? She lost her baby, Lex... your baby, she will never forgive you for that. She doesn't want to see you."_

_"What? She wasn't pregnant!"_

_"Then how I got this?" Clark asked with pain showing him his arm again.  
><em>

_"It's impossible!"_

_The guards got inside and sedated Lex once again…_

Julie…_ he thought…_ no, I won't believe those lies! They must be some tricks!

_Lionel and Clark got out of the hospital.  
><em>

_"Thank you, Clark for your sacrifice," Lionel said and threw away the kryptonite he was holding._

_"No… problem…" Clark hissed and healed himself. "Why did you do this?" he asked. "Don't you love your own son?"_

_"My son told me that I was dead to him… so now he's dead to me… for a while… I will wipe out his memories. You will get your girl back and I will get my old son…"_


	17. Chapter 17 MISERY

It'd been weeks… maybe months… I didn't know because I'd completely lost the track of time…

I never thought it could feel this way, it hurt so much and there was still no sign of Lex. He wasn't back. It was like he'd just disappeared.

Had I been that pathetic and lame that he couldn't had stand me anymore? Had he thought that the shot in our wedding day had been the best thing that could had possibly happened to him?

Why was I constantly thinking about this?

The truth was – and I was with Chloe on it – I still couldn't just believe that Lex had written that letter… how could he? How could he had been such a two-face person? Clark had said he could, but… one day he'd loved me, I'd seen it in his eyes… for a God's sake he'd almost gotten himself hair for me! Hadn't that proved anything?

Seemed like not. Not at all.

I didn't understand Lex Luthor's behavior and I'd been about to marry this man. The man I didn't even know!

"Julie…" it was Clark.

I was standing in the barn, looking through the window and thinking.

"Are you OK? I know it's a stupid thing to ask… but… are you feeling any better?"

"Do you think your parents have something against me being here so long?" I asked without giving him any answer.

"No, not at all… as long as we don't do anything… but we won't… you still love him, don't you?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "He turned out to be exactly like you said he would and…" I bit my lower lip.

"I understand… you cannot control who you are in love with."

"Yeah…"

"Let me cheer you up a little bit."

"Even if you try, it won't work," I said pretty sure of it.

"OK, but I'll try anyway."

* * *

><p><em>Lex was doing everything in his power not to take the drugs they were giving him. He was hiding them under his tongue, he was making himself vomit in the bathroom when he had to swallow it… he went through hell pretending to be drugged when he actually wasn't, pretending to agree with everything his father was telling him…<em>

_Yeah, he even agreed that he had to be delusional – Clark couldn't be any alien. He agreed that he was going through a break-down again like he'd been once because of the loss of his brother Julian._

_It was so hard, but the only thing that kept him going, kept him alive and made him trying ever harder, the only thing that didn't let him give up was… Julie. He was picturing himself her face every single second of his miserable life, thinking how it would be to get out of this place, marry her… see the cheer and the tears of joy that he actually hadn't left her… that he loved her after all…_

_Then he had to wake up, the brutal reality was coming back to him… _

_This day he thought would be the day he would finally get out. He hid a pencil in his trousers and attacked one of the guards._

_He stole his gun and managed to run outside… only to got himself caught… he didn't think that the fence surrounding that place had spikes on top and he made a huge mistake… he pierced his hands…_

_They had him… and from now on he was being watched 24/7… no way to avoid taking these fucking drugs!_

_But he was strong. He wouldn't forget Julie…_

_The drugs made him unable to move properly but he remembered…_

* * *

><p>"And that is what you think will make me feel better?" I asked looking around. Clark just took me to the clearing near his farm.<p>

"No," he answered with a mysterious smile on his face, "but this is," he took me in his arms and… just flew up.

"What the f…" I stopped. I was in deep shock. If he didn't hold me I would fall on the ground. "When did you learn how to fly?"

"Pretty recently… it's one of my abilities," he answered.

"What else there is to know?" I asked realizing that this might be my only chance to find out more.

"I can set fire with my eyes, I have X-vision, I have superhearing..."

"What? Can… can you see through my clothes?"

"No… no if I don't want to and believe me… I've never done that."

"Hmm… I guess I have to believe you, right?" I smiled.

"There it is. A smile!" he exclaimed and suddenly bent over to… kiss me…

For a moment I thought I would be able to kiss him back, maybe even forget about Lex and be with the one who always cared about me… but no, I couldn't.

I moved my face away, such a pity there was no way I could just move my whole body away from him…

"Clark…" I started.

"I'm sorry… it's my fault… I know it's too soon…"

"Yeah, hell soon and you trapped me," I got a little angry. "I'm sorry but I don't know if I'll ever feel the same for you."

"It's OK. I can wait."

"It doesn't have anything to do with waiting, sometimes you just feel something or you don't… I want to be on the ground again."

"But… I can show you the universe…"

"I want to be on the ground again. Now." I repeated and he sighed.

He took me down and I just walked away, crying.


	18. Chapter 18 TRUTH TO BE TOLD

Another week…

* * *

><p><em>Another week…<em>

* * *

><p><em>"She just… doesn't want me…" Clark sadly told Chloe.<em>

_"Can you blame her? Clark! Lex was the love of her life and it doesn't matter how long it lasted! She loves him!"_

_"But he broke her heart!"_

_"Well… you can't just stop loving somebody for breaking your heart, can you? She's coping in the best way she possibly can, you have to give her some time." _

_"I have to go… I have a meeting."_

_Chloe bobbed her eyebrows. _

_Clark indeed was acting so weird recently… have a meeting? A meeting?_

_Mr & Mrs Kent were in Metropolis again and Julie was the only person who stayed home so Chloe could go see her._

* * *

><p>"Julie?" Chloe asked knocking to my room. "Are you there?"<p>

"Yes… come in…" I was sitting on the bed, miserable as always, with Clark's laptop on my laps.

"Are you feeling any better?" Chloe asked sitting by my side.

"Please, everybody just stop asking me that question!" I got frustrated, "I'm sorry, Chloe, I just…"

"I understand…"

"What the f…?" I suddenly said looking at the screen.

"What is it?" Chloe got interested.

"I took Clark's laptop without his permission but I figured he wouldn't mind… I wanted to check my e-mail and look… Clark didn't sign out of his e-mail account… he's been e-mailing Lionel Luthor!"

"What?" Chloe took the laptop from me and started checking things up. "What kind of a project… oh my God!" she exclaimed.

"What? What is it?" I looked at the screen and I was stunned. Unable to move. Then tears came to my eyes. Just like a fountain.

It was Lex. Lionel wrote to Clark one sentence 'he's doing much better, look into the enclosure' and Chloe did… it was a short video form a hospital camera… it was Lex under some kind of a metal construction… sedated…

I covered my mouth with my hands.

"Oh my God, Oh my God, oh my…" I was shivering and crying. I didn't know what to do. "Chloe! Oh my God! He didn't…"

"I know… what happened to Clark? All that trouble just to get the girl?"

"He did try to kiss me last week."

"He did? I'm calling the cops… no, wait… this is Lionel and Clark working together… it means that Lionel knows Clark's secret… they're doing some nasty business together… Julie… first thing to know…" Chloe stood up leaving the laptop on the bed. "Clark has a weakness… take it…" she handed me over some green rock.

"A meteor rock?" I asked surprised.

"Yes, you can protect yourself with that if he tries to do something… I don't know… prevent you from getting to Lex."

"I have to save him!" I cried my heart out. Lex's pain was my pain. I couldn't just sit and do nothing. "Don't you understand? I've spent weeks thinking he broke up with me… that he just used me and then… then… he was here all the time… in Bellereve… he loves me…"

"Julie," Chloe said in dead serious manner. "Look at me. Don't you do that to yourself now… don't you dare to break... there will be time for this later, no we have to save Lex."

"Yes. I know. I'll try to calm myself down."

"I don't know how much time we have before Clark comes back…" Chloe sat by the laptop again. "I'll find out everything there's to know. You have to prepare yourself for getting into the Bellereve. I don't know how yet, but I'll figure out a way to help him. Then, we'll deal with Clark."

"Oh, OK," I sat down trying to calm myself down but I just couldn't get the picture of Lex sedated in a psychiatric ward out of my head.

"Shit…" Chloe cursed.

"What?"

"I have no idea how to get him out of there… the only way would be…"

"Don't tell me… ask Clark because of his abilities?"

"Exactly. I'm sorry but Lionel is still in charge of Lex, not you, you're not his wife… damn it!"

Suddenly we heard the door slamming downstairs.

"It's Clark!" I panicked. "What do we do?"

"I'll confront him… you… take the rock and… I don't know… figure something out…"

"Julie!" we heard from downstairs.

"I'm going…" Chloe said to me and went there alone.

I changed my clothes quickly and got out through the window…

* * *

><p>"<em>Clark… what the hell have you done to Lex?" Chloe asked confronting him.<em>

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"I saw it on your laptop. What the hell are you doing? It was the wedding day, right? It pushed you, first you didn't stop the bullet because you were jealous and then you deceived Julie and took away Lex with help from Lionel Luthor? You know who became the bad man from the cave's wall? You did!"_

_"And what can you possibly do to me… you don't have any kryptonite by your side."_

_"You X-rayed me?"_

_"Where's Julie?"_

_"What? Clark, are you serious? Are you on the red kryptonite?"_

_"No!" he growled. "She knows, doesn't she?"_

_And he was gone too…_


	19. Chapter 19 BELLEREVE

I went to the Bellereve but I still had no idea what to do to release Lex… well, first I had to see him, desperately.

I got to the gate but the guard stopped me.

"And you are…?" he asked with unpleasant voice.

"I'm the fiancée of Alexander Luthor, may I please see him?"

"What?" he laughed at me. "You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all…"

"No one can see Mr Luthor except his father."

"And Clark Kent I presume…"

"I don't know who you are, but for me you can be a reporter as well as Lex's fiancée so bay bay, lady."

I turned round.

Shit! I had to do something! I knew that wasn't a very good plan to just show up here and...

Got it! I saw some woman going on the back with a key and a bag.

I made sure that no one was watching me and I followed her to knock her out.

Score for me. She was a nurse so I took her clothes from the bag and a key with an access card.

Another one for me, it must be my lucky day because I got inside!

I quikly changed into a white uniform and tied mmy hair up. I kept my head down while I went looking for Lex.

That was exactly what would Chloe do is she wanted to get inside. Maybe I had something from a reporter in my blood too… you never knew…

I walked by some man… no one spoke to me yet and it was a good thing, but how long…

Then I found him.

Lex.

In this glass room, he was lying down on a hospital cot under the same metal construction I'd seen on the video.

I pushed the special button to open the door. Maybe I would even manage to get him out of there?

When I came in he turned his head to look at me and… there was astonishment in his eyes, then happiness and then… yes, tears.

"Julie?" he whispered like he thought I wasn't real. "Is that really you or I'm just hallucinating? But… I wrote that letter… they made me… they drugged me…"

"Sshhh…" I whispered coming closer to him. "I know… I mean… I found out today… I found e-mails from your father in Clark's e-mail box."

"Yeah… they're working together… I… I missed you so much… I wanted to come back to you… I almost succeeded…" he looked on his hands.

There were bandages on them.

"Oh… I'm so sorry..." I cried and instead of holding him by his hand – I was going too but then I thought I would cause him more pain – I stroked his smooth head. "My love…" I whispered bending down to place a kiss on his parched lips. "I'll get you out of here…"

"I love you…" he told me.

"I know…" tears were flashing down my cheeks. "I'm sorry I doubted that before…"

"It's OK… it was my handwriting after all… and… you'd known me only for like two months… I know you trusted me, but…"

"Sshhh… I know you were honest with me… by the way…" I started trying to get him out of those bars. "Clark can fly and set fire with his eyes, he also has X-vision and superhearing... and… he has a weakness… green kryptonite… and…" something suddenly caught my neck from behind and pushed aside.

Lex and I screamed in the same time.

"Julie… not good…" I heard Clark's voice.

"Clark! You can't do that!" I yelled at him. "What gives you the right to decide about my life? I hate you! Can you hear me? I hate you for what you've done to Lex! I wouldn't be able to love you! Not ever!"

"Julie…" Clark's eyes were full of pain. "You know it's not true... you kissed me…"

"Really?" Lex asked and I looked at him noticing pain in his eyes.

"He kissed me when he took me to fly with him! I didn't know what he was up to until I found myself in the f… air! How could I escape? Can't you see, Clark? You had to take me to a place I couldn't run from just to kiss me!"

"Watch your words… Lex will never get out of here… say goodbye to your love… I don't care if you still have me… you won't have him back!"

Suddenly I remembered. I reached to my pocket and took out the kryptonite.

Clark suddenly put his hands to his head and got on his knees.

I took a scalpel – yeah, I'd found one in the place I'd been changing my clothes for a nurse outfit.

Clark managed to raise his head to look at me.

"You won't dare…"

"Oh, I will…" I hissed squatting by him. "Try me…" I put the knife to his neck. "Release Lex and take him out of Bellereve or I will kill you… I would've killed Eddie when he shot Lex so you know I won't hesitate…"

"Julie…" suddenly Lex was the one who tried to calm me down.

"No, Lex… I am the one who tells Clark what to do and he will do this."

"I'm sorry…" we heard Clark saying. "It's the red kryptonite in my system… Lionel's spiking my drinks… he made me do it… it was all him!"

"What is the red kryptonite?" I asked.

"He made me a bad person…" Clark moaned.

"Really? And it just passed out right this very moment?" I asked sarcastically.

"It's the green kryptonite… it hurts me, but it also cleans me off the red one… put it aside and I'll help Lex."

I moved back but I was still holding the rock in my hand, just in case.

Clark stood up and got to Lex feeing him in less than a second.

I forgot all about safety and jumped to Lex hugging him tight.

He kissed me and I was finally home.


	20. Chapter 20 POISON

I hid the kryptonite and Clark took us out of there in a second… suddenly I found myself back at his farm.

"Oh my God! Lex!… Clark, you saved him!" I heard Chloe's shocked voice.

I was still holding Lex, he was strangely weak.

"The drugs…" he grimaced so I helped him to get to a chair.

"Coffee… it will help… and some food…" I said and started preparing that.

"Clark, what was wrong with you?" Chloe asked carefully.

"Red kryptonite. I met Lionel, I admit that, but… he must had spiked my juice… or something… I had it in my system and the green kryptonite Julie attacked me with helped me… thank you, Chloe for doing that and giving it to her… and… I'm so sorry… I know there are no words for what I've done, I just…"

"But you still didn't stop that bullet on our wedding day," I noticed handing Lex the cup of coffee he needed.

"No, I didn't. And I am sorry for that too, even more because that was me. I feel so ashamed…"

"It's OK, Clark, we'll deal with it," Chloe said rubbing his arm.

"Do you need a ride home?" Clark suggested looking at me and Lex.

"In a while, yes, thank you," I smiled for the first time since… since forever!

All I wanted right now is to get Lex to bed and just be with him. I knew he was still weak so we could only snuggle. I just wanted to be in his arms and feel save again.

After Lex drunk his coffee and ate something Clark took us to the mansion.

"Thank you," I said before I realized I shouldn't. There was nothing to thank for. Clark owed us at least that much. "No, I shouldn't have said that… it just slipped naturally," I took Lex's hand and we got inside.

"Hey, what are you doing? Come to the bedroom with me, you need rest and I need YOU," I objected when he walked into the living room slightly staggering.

"I have to stop my father and… I have to make you the person who gets to decide about me… " he said and pour some whisky into his glass.

He sipped a little and then…

It happened within a second…

"LEX!" I screamed and got to him but he was already on the floor. "Oh my God… what's happening?"

He moved his lips but he didn't speak, he couldn't, he put his shaky hands to his throat.

"Poison!" I guessed. "Your father must have… oh God… HELP!" I screamed for the security team and took the phone, I needed to call 911 or… no, I needed to call Clark! He would get Lex to a hospital much faster!

"Hang on… I love you… just… keep holding on…" I said to Lex while still holding his hand, he was squeezing mine with an enormous strength. He was in pain.

And then as soon as it happened, it stopped. He stopped moving.

"Lex! NOOOO!" I screamed and then Clark got inside.

"I heard your… oh my God…" he squatted by us and checked Lex's pulse. "Julie…" he said… his voice…

"No…" I said. "No… he can't be!"

The door opened and I saw Lionel.

Then I felt extra speed and I found myself on the farm again. Chloe wasn't there anymore.

"What the…?" I screamed. "Take me back! Take me back!" I started hitting Clark's chest with my fists.

"JULIE!" Clark made me stand still by puttin his hands on my shoulders and forced me to look at him. "Lex is dead, do you understand? HE IS DEAD."

"NO!" I yelled. "No!" I cried and suddenly I found myself in his arms. "No!"

"We need to get out of here," he said.

"What?" I asked looking at him with astonishment in my eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Lionel will find you and kill you if we don't, I remembered that he wanted to. Julie, you're not safe here… I'll go with you…"

"But… If… I want to go to a funeral… I loved him!" I was still crying unable to even understand that the funeral meant no Lex anymore.

"We can't, you want to stay alive, don't you?"

"No, I don't…" I heard myself saying and sat in the chair Lex had been sitting before. The cup he'd been drinking his coffee from was still on the table…

Then Clark was speeding around the house and finally he took me in his arms… I didn't know where… I didn't care… Lex was gone… I might be as well dead too…

* * *

><p>"<em>Yes, everything went as planned," Clark confirmed through the phone. "Yes, I have her, yes… I realize that you lost his body… yes, that is why we're hiding… he won't find us anyway… Yes… goodbye, Mr Luthor…"<em>

_He turned off his new phone and went back to the apartment._

* * *

><p>I woke up.<p>

I was in some strange place… It wasn't the mansion, it wasn't Clark's farm… no, and it was cold in here… freaking cold.

"Julie? Are you awake?" I heard Clark's voice.

I got out of the bed and went to the wooden kitchen.

"Where, the hell, are we?" I asked quietly but I knew he would hear me anyway. "It's so cold in here…" I looked around the small apartment. There were two beds in the room I'd just left and a wardrobe with some other door probably from the bathroom and the other room with a kitchen and a couch.

"Syberia," Clark answered.

"What?"

"Yes… sorry… but it seemed to be the safest place… no contact with the outside world and especially with America. We don't even have the Internet."

"But… why?" I squealed.

"Lionel won't find us here… and he's after me too… I know he wanted to take me to his lab to experiment on me eventually…"

I sat down by the table, unabled to say another word, I thought about my love which I'd lost again. This time it was even worse, I couldn't hate Lex because he'd left me… the truth was that he hadn't left… he'd been taken away from me…

I didn't touch the food Clark put on the plate right in front of me.

I didn't do anything. I was just sitting there, looking through the window and thinking… or not thinking… pretending to be dead… it was the only way I could stay calm and not start screaming…

* * *

><p>He tried. Well, he tried very hard, but he would never have me. Actually I felt sorry for Clark, because after all he turned out to be the guy who was my friend again… but… well… I wasn't able to fall in love again… this part of me had died with Lex. My heart was dead. Shattered in million pieces and the only person who could put it back together was dead…<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>AND?"<em>

_"Still no sign of her, Mr Luthor." The private investigator said. "I'm sorry… We'll keep looking."_

_"You better will…" suddenly he felt dizzy. Blood. He had to…_

_He barely managed to get back to the plane._

_As soon as his doctor saw him she helped him make his way to the cot._

_"If you don't listen to me you will die, Lex," she said linking some canals to his body and to some machine. "You should be dead… I still cannot understand how did you survive, but the most important thing right now is this treatment. You have to have your blood purified every 74 hours for a month time!"_

_"I know," Lex said and sighed, "but I also have to find my fiancée before he hurts her."_

_"I'm sure you will. Please, relax now…"_

_So yes, Lex had survived. Lionel had called an ambulance and the doctors had said that his son had died but… he'd woken up in hospital and paid an enormous money to brag them. The whole world thought that Lex Luthor was dead. The whole world thought that the ashes that Lionel had buried was his own son's._

_Well, the world was wrong. _

_Lex was looking for Julie and Clark._

_Obviously._


	21. Chapter 21 KILLER

_Two months had passed by and Lex had no idea where else to look for Julie..._

_It was like she'd disappeared completely, like she wasn't even on Earth._

_But wait… if Clark was an alien… no, if he was here, on Earth, it meant that he couldn't come back home, he would had done it already… he couldn't had taken her with him… no way…_

_So what then? What he was supposed to do next? His father would probably kill him the second he'd found out that Lex was alive…_

_So he had only one choice…_

_The truth was that without Julie by his side he'd started becoming his father. He had the aim and he wouldn't stop until he would get what he wanted._

_If that meant that the only way to bring her back was to reveal himself alive… so be it._

_Lex came back to the mansion but Lionel wasn't there so he decided to wait._

_Only an hour later his father came in and when he walked into the living room he was stunned._

_"Lex?" he stammered. "Is that really you? You're alive!"  
><em>

_"Don't bother, father," Lex said sitting calmly in his chair behind his desk. "I know you were the one who tried to kill me… as soon as you found out that your treatment wouldn't work you decided to get rid of me, didn't you?"_

_"Lex, I only wanted my son back."_

_"I am your son!" Lex exclaimed. "The one and only and I am sorry that I have disappointed you, father. If you'd wanted to have a son exactly like you, you should've cloned yourself," he said while pulling out a gun from under his desk._

_"But you are like me," Lionel's eyes sparkled. "Look... if you're really willing to kill me now it means I succeeded! I knew that something happened to you the day of the meteor shower…"_

_"Yes, I lost my hair, thanks for remanding me that," Lex said sarcastically._

_"No, not only lost it… you gained some kind of strength… you are always healthy, you were never ill… and when you got shot… meteors healed you and… the poison… you survived the deadly poison… you are more immune to those things than normal human beings."_

_"Great, but again… I don't care… just tell me where Juliet is." He loaded the gun._

_"No, I won't, because I don't even know myself. I know she's with Clark and God knows what they're doing together… alone…" he teased his son.  
><em>

_Shot went out. Lionel fell on the floor. Lex had aimed at his leg and now he stood right over his father putting the gun to his head._

_"Tell me or you'll die," he said and there was no hesitation or remorse in his voice._

_"I don't really know but if I did… I wouldn't tell you anyway." _

_"I'm sorry, this answer is incorrect."_

_"I have all I ever wanted now… the son who is just like me…"_

_Another shot went out. Lionel was dead._

* * *

><p>"<em>We received some shocking news… Lionel Luthor was shot dead today in his own house. The police report stated that he was shot by a burglar who broke into the Luthor mansion…"<em>

_"What the hell?" Chloe raised her eyebrows in surprise and turned the volume up. _

_"…it's not the end of the shocking news… when the world found out about Lionel's death… his son, Lex Luthor, came back and claimed that he was actually alive. He was pretending to be dead so he could recover from the poison that attacked his body two months ago and he was also looking for his fiancée, Juliet Andrews who mysteriously disappeared…"_

_"Chloe?" _

_She jumped when she heard her name coming out of Lex's mouth. She turned round to see for her own eyes – Lex was alive._

_"Oh my God! You killed Lionel, didn't you?" she asked with fear in her eyes. "You couldn't find Julie and Clark so you had to come back to try something new and Lionel was still a danger to you, wasn't he?"_

_"Chloe… I need to know… where are they?" Lex just asked ignoring her speech._

_"You did kill him, didn't you? You killed your own father!"_

_"Chloe!" he put his hands on her arms making her look into his eye. "Where is the woman I love?" _

_"Her absence made you this way, am I right? She said to me once that she was your only salvation from Lionel's influences."_

_"Enough… you want to know the truth? Fine! Clark wasn't on the red meteor rock or whatever!"_

_"What? How?"_

_"I looked into my father's accounts and guess what? He was regularly sending a lot of money to some region in… Syberia and… he made a lot of phone calls there."_

_"He and Clark?"_

_"Yes." _

_Chloe got pale._

_"But… Clark can't be the bad man here!" she was shivering. "No way! He was…"_

_"Always so good and gentle? Chloe, face the truth, Clark for the first time in his life didn't get the girl he wanted, I did instead. I think he's really in love with her."_

_"But she won't love him even in million years, Lex! Her heart is all yours and Clark knows that!... And now... how do you want to make it work with her if you killed Lionel?"_

_"Just help me find her," he cut her off._

_"Show me those e-mails your father sent and the records from the phone bills and I'll tell you where she is."_

* * *

><p>I wasn't stupid. First thing I'd done after Clark had told me that Lex had been dead had been to find some internet coffee and I'd succeeded. There had been one in the city next to that we'd been living in. It'd taken me a while to get there, but later on I'd just told Clark that I'd needed to be alone. It'd been so easy to lie to him… with Lex it would've never worked out. He always could tell when people lied to him, but Clark? No way.<p>

I'd thought that Clark was lying to me though.

That why I'd had to go to check it up… he'd been right… Lex had been officially declared dead… I'd also seen some pictures in the internet, picture from the funeral…

It'd been so horrible...

I hadn't written to Chloe or anybody else, my mother hadn't cared. I'd known that Lionel had been still looking for me… he'd wanted to kill me…

And then, two months later Clark suddenly burst through the door and told me:

"Pack up your things! NOW!"

"What's happening?" I asked perplexed.

"Lionel! He knows we're here! Pack up your stuff!" Clark repeated.

"But…"

"PACK… UP… YOUR F... STUFF!" he roared and I stood still.

It wasn't only Lionel… something else must had happened… but I did what he'd asked me for because otherwise I wouldn't have a chance to sneak out in the right moment to find out what it really was.

We supersped hundreds of miles when I told him to stop.

He did and looked at me.

"What is it?"

"I have to go to the bathroom… where are we?"

"Moscow," he answered.

"OK, wait for me here."

As soon as I disappeared from his sight instead of going to the bathroom I looked for some internet coffee... or better! A phone!

I ran into the nearest hotel and got to the phone box. So lucky I had Russian money… I thought and I called Chloe's Isis foundation.

But it wasn't Chloe who picked up the phone…

* * *

><p>"<em>Let's see…" Chloe was locating the place in Siberia.<em>

_The phone rang._

_"Won't you pick it up?" Lex asked._

_"Do it yourself, I'm too busy and it's probably something unimportant anyway." _

_"Isis foundation," Lex picked up._

_"LEX?"_

_"JULIE?"_

_Chloe turned round. Her face looked like white paper once again._


	22. Chapter 22 SALVATION

"Isis Foundation. "Oh my God! I couldn't believe it but… yes! It was Lex's voice! My heart just stopped. Maybe I was imagining it? Was he alive? But I'd checked it up, he'd been dead! Or he'd just pretended to be… so Clark would've thought…

"LEX?" I screamed.

"JULIE?"

"Oh God! You're alive! Lex… help me! Save me!..." and then… silence. What the… I turned around with the phone still put against my ear and I saw Clark. He was pissed at me and he had to be the one who interrupted the call.

"What did you just do?" he asked.

"You told me he was dead!"

"He was!"

"But he… is that why you wanted me to run? You were afraid I would find out and leave you? Where would you take me to make me not seeing the news?"

"I don't know… let's see…" he took me in his arms again, this time he forced me because I wouldn't do it willingly – I couldn't run away, he was too strong – and soon we were gone.

* * *

><p>"<em>She hung up." Lex sighed putting down the phone.<em>

_"Or she was made…" Chloe figured. "Clark…"_

_"Can you trace that call? Wait... on second thoughts… with Clark's superspeed they're probably miles away from that place by now." _

_"He knows I would trace it so there's no point." Chloe agreed bitting her lip. "Lex… I don't really know what else we can do…"_

_"No! Don't tell me I've lost her forever!" he said and she saw actual tears in his eyes altogether with desperation. "I won't survive that! I want to kill this sun of a bitch!"_

_In that moment Chloe realized that Julie's presence was the only thing that would make Lex a better man, without her… he would be a villain. Worse than Clark had already become._

_Then something struck her… Clark would took Julie to a place where no one could possibly go…_

_"I know where they are," she just said with excitement in her voice. "Take some kryptonite with you and let's go."_

_"Where?"_

_"You'll meet Clark's real father."_

_"Real father? What about Kents? Maybe they would…"_

_"Believe me, they'll tell you the same thing I've just figured out. Let's go, there's no time… and put some jacket on… we're going to some really cold place."_

* * *

><p>"What is this place?" I asked shivering. Clark had given me a jacket but I was cold anyway.<p>

"Lex killed Lionel. Do you still want to get back to him?" Clark suddenly asked me.

"He did what?"

"You heard me. Lionel is dead. Everybody thinks that it was a burglar, but we both know it wasn't."

"I once said to Lex that even if he'd become a killer I would've still loved him. It's unconditional love, Clark… and you… you will never force me to love you. You may as well kill me because that's the only way you'll keep me away from Lex."

"Didn't you just hear what I've said? Your beloved Lex is a killer!"

"And Lionel put him in Bellereve and then he was trying to kill him… you were trying to kill him… Lex was just defending himself!"

"Lionel didn't attack him when he got back!"

"You don't know that!"

"JULIE!" was I dreaming? I turned round and saw… Lex.

My Lex. My love. Everything inside of me craved for him so I got to my feet and ran to him but Clark stood between us.

Then Chloe got there.

"Clark! Don't! What would your family think? Your dad? Jonathan? And your mother, Martha? They didn't raise you that way! You're not the bad guy here! You'll never force her to love you!"

"Do you really prefer a murderer over me?" Clark asked looking at me.

"And how are you acting right now?" I answered with a question.

Ooopsss… I made him even more mad… wrong move.

Fortunately Lex reached out his hand with a green kryptonite in it.

Clark bent down to the ground.

This time I got to Lex and he held me with his other arm that was free of holding kryptonite and then Chloe took it from him so he hugged me tight with both. I snuggled into him, put my face ti his neck and smelled the familiar scent of his skin. It was so wonderful… I was home again…

Then he took my face in his hands – he was so alive! – he kissed me with whole passion. Our tongues met and I forgot where we actually were.

When he let go off me he reached for a knife from his pocket and got closer to Clark.

"Lex…" I hesitated. What was he up to? "Lex… don't kill him."

Lex stopped and looked at me.

"Why? Didn't he do enough damage to us? He was standing in our way from the very beginning!"

"Yes, but I'm here right now and I'm telling you not to kill him. You already killed your father… yes, I know… and I don't blame you… but if you kill Clark now… you will be nothing more or less than Lionel Luthor and you were begging me once not to let that happen."

He looked at me. I saw tears in his eyes. He was obviously embarrassed about this weakness but he moved back.

I succeeded! He didn't kill Clark.

I came to him, this time slowly, I took the knife from his hand and dropped it on the ground. Then I took his hand.

Clark looked up and I saw his face… he was full of pain which kryptonite was causing but there was something else in there too…

I suddenly jumped because I heard somebody else's voice and no one beside us was there.

"Kal-El, you have disappointed me."

"Who…?" I started but Chloe interrupted me:

"He's real father… Jor-El… his spirit is in this fortress."

I screamed when it happened… Lex put his arms around me to protect me but we had nothing to be afraid of because Clark was the one captured by ice and… frozen inside.

"Is he… dead?" I asked carefully.

"No," Chloe answered. "Jor-El just wants to punish him. I'm sure that Clark will be home soon."

Chloe led us to the exit and we found ourselves in the caves…

"Is that…" I asked in shock.

"Yes… you didn't know, hah?" Chloe smiled. "This is the passage and you need this…" she showed me some strange metal octagon, "to open it."

"Interesting…" I said.

"Julie… can we go home now?" Lex asked.

"Yes…" I smiled to him. "Take me home."

"Well… I'll go find Mr and Mrs Kent…" Chloe said. "They would want to know what happened to Clark."

"Did they even know where we were?" I asked.

"No, Clark told them you two had to hide and… well… I believed him and so did they. We would've never…"

"Chloe, it's OK… go to them… we'll come back home and… I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>I led Lex straight to the bedroom and started unzipping his shirt.<p>

He was intesively looking at my face all the time.

"What is it?" I asked looking up.

"I missed you so much… I love you so much…" he whispered and started kissing me."We won't get out of this bed at least for a week…" he growled.

I laughed.

"More… definitely more!"


	23. Chapter 23 THE GAME HAS BEEN WON

_When Clark was finally released he was very ashamed of what he'd done and he still wasn't sure that he would be able to change for the better but Jor-El thought that he should spend some time with his parents and friends so they could help him._

_He got back home slowly… he wasn't in a hurry, he was afraid of what he might have to face back on the farm._

_"Clark?" his mother was quite happy to see him and also relieved. "Oh, my boy!" she hugged him making him feel even worse. _

_"Son…" that was his dad's voice. "We need to talk…"_

_"I know…" Clark said looking down to avoid his eyes. "I need help… help me… I don't know what's happening to me… those feelings… they're still there, inside of me… eating me up… I don't want to become a bad person!"_

_"Yes, we have to talk about this too, but… here you have a letter that came to you two days ago…" Jonathan handed him over the envelope._

_"Lex's handwriting," Clark noticed while taking it. "What is it? He wrote to me that he can't forgive me? I already know that."_

_"I'm afraid it's not that, honey, just… read it."_

_"Mom… what is it that you're not telling me?" Clark looked at her. There was something strange in her eyes._

_"Read it," she repeated._

_So he opened it…_

_"_Clark…

I am sorry for telling you this in a letter, but I don't know when you will be back or if you ever be…

Juliet is dead.

I know it's a lot to take in, but… there was nothing even I could do. It was quick, almost painless.

I tried everything… you know I would spend every amount of money for her… but… she died.

The reason were the side effects of her treatment in Summerholt… brain death.

Alexander Luthor."

_Lex's handwriting got a little shaky at the end…_

"_WHAT?" Clark was standing there, in the middle of the kitchen… unabled to move… "She can't be!"_

_"I'm so sorry, honey…" his mother came closer to him and rubbed his arm._

_"Funeral?" he barely spoke those words through his tears._

_"This morning. You missed it, I'm sorry…"_

_"Grave?"_

_"I can take you there…"_

_"I will," that was Chloe, she just came in. "Hey, Clark… nice to see you again… I hope you're better…"_

_"Chloe… is that…"_

_"…truth, Clark, yes. Lex was devastated. I've never seen him in such a despair… you want to go to her grave? Come on…"_

_When they got to the cemetery Clark saw Lex in the distance. He was just leaving but although he noticed Clark too he didn't go back. He got into the helicopter and flew away._

_"He doesn't want to see you. I was the one who convinced him to write the letter," Chloe notified. "I thought it would be better for you if you found out that way…"_

_"Chloe… I need help…" Clark cried and suddenly he was on his knees… on her grave._

Juliet Andrews – _was engraved in the cold stone. Everything was so real…_

_"I know… you need help and I'm here for you… I miss her too…"_

* * *

><p>I was waiting in the helicopter.<p>

"And?" I asked looking at Lex.

"He totally bought it," Lex smiled and kissed me.

"Great…" I looked through the window. Clark was kneeling by "my grave", everything went great, everything according to the plan.

"Is that wrong? You know… what we did?" I asked laying down my head on Lex's arm and holding his hand.

"Not at all, honey, Clark had done even worse things to us. We have the right to disappear."

* * *

><p><em><span>A couple of days earlier:<span>_

"So you want to make Clark believe that Juliet is dead?" Mrs Kent had to make sure she'd heard it right.

"For our own safety," Lex added holding my hand.

We were sitting in the living room in Kent's house.

"I think that's a great idea," Chloe said. "Mrs Kent… Clark's in love with Julie and he's gone mad beacuse of that… when he finds out she's dead… maybe we'll be able to push him back. He can actually become a good man again. You want the best for your son, don't you?"

"OK… if that is what it takes… I'm in…" Mr Kent agreed.

"Great." Lex and I stood up. "Thank you your hospitality."

"Anytime." Martha smiled. "It's the least I can do for you… and where are you two going?" she asked.

"Scotland," I answered looking at Lex's happy eyes and rubbing his arm. "We think we'll stay up there. It's a very peaceful place… it's just perfect."

"If that makes you happy…"

Julie reminded when a couple of weeks earlier she'd suddenly said to Lex:

"Lex… I have an idea… we have to fake my death…"

"WHAT?"

So they did. They even threw a fake funeral – actually they learnt that from Lionel – so Julie's ashes were buried, not her body. Clark could easily X-rayed the coffin and noticed the rocks instead.

* * *

><p><em><span>Present time:<span>_

"So… honey… Europe, hah?" I smiled and looked at my love.

"Yes…"

I'd been in shock when I'd found out that Lex had decided to quit the business, he'd left the LuthorCorp to his friend Tess, but it was still his company in the face of law.

"New… life…" he said.


	24. Chapter 24 SECRET REVEALED

_It'd been years since Julie had died and Clark -_ with Chloe and his parents' help_ - managed to become the old himself back._

_And then… yes, it happened, he finally met the true love of his life. Her name was Lois Lane and she was Chloe's cousin. _

_The sparks were there from the very beginning but Clark was afraid of Lois's reaction when she would find out about his abilities and after all – his past._

_Surprisingly everything went well and they got engaged. Clark couldn't believe that Lois was still in love with him after his confession. Maybe she was in some kind of way like Julie? Julie had chosen Lex although he'd killed his own father… Clark actually hadn't killed anyone but it'd been so close…_

_Chloe also found her happiness._

_His name was Oliver Queen and he was Lex's old college friend. _

_She quickly discovered that he was the famous Green Arrow – a disguised hero who'd been saving the city during nights, just like Clark started doing._

_She and Oliver got married pretty quickly and were a happy couple now._

_Then something unexpected happened…_

_"Chloe… did you get me the info I needed?" Clark came to her. "You know... about this attack last night…"_

_Clark and Lois were working in the Daily Planet._

_"Yeah… check in my laptop," Chloe said very busy with some papers._

_Clark took her laptop and…_

_Chloe made the same mistake he'd made once… she'd left her e-mail box opened. _

"I wish you were here… I'm sending you some pictures from my and Oliver's wedding…" _he read and then he saw the reply: "_Your dress was fantastic! See picture of us! We had such afun in Egypt, you have to go there one day... and there's something more… I'm pregnant. I just found out and you're the second person I'm telling that… of course first I needed to tell Lex. He wants to get married and I'm saying: finally! How could we forget that we wanted it so much? Now we have to rush before my belly gets any bigger…"

_And there were pictures of… Julie and Lex!_

_"Chloe…" Clark started but he had no idea what to say so he just ran out of there. He had to see it on his own eyes._

_"Clark…" Chloe turned but she didn't see him there so she got closer to her laptop. "Shit!" she cursed and picked up the phone._

* * *

><p>"<em>Is it true? Have you been lying to me all this time?" Clark was yelling at his parents.<em>

_"Clark… calm down… you don't have any feelings for that girl anymore, do you?" Lois asked with fear._

_"No! of course I don't… but I still care about her… and if she's alive… I need to see her! To apologize!"_

_"Don't you think is far too late for that?" Martha Kent asked._

* * *

><p>"Yes?" I picked up the phone. Lex wasn't happy. We were in bed.<p>

"You could just let it ring," he said.

"What?" I straightened up covering myself with the sheet. "Are you sure?"

"What happened?" he asked me when I hung up.

"It was Chloe… Clark knows… he found out by accident… he looked into Chloe's e-mail box," I said.

"Damn it!" Lex yelled getting out of the bed and starting dressing up.

"What are you doing?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows.

"We have to move."

"Yeah, like get back home."

"What?" he stopped and turned to me.

"Don't you get it? We finally decided to get married… this time we will and I want my friends to be there. I'm not talking about Clark, I'm talking about Chloe and Mr and Mrs Kent… they were so good to us… I want to get married in Smallville, Lex. The past few years were really great but we have to come back. Don't pretend you don't want to go back to your work."

"Are you tired of me?" he asked and he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"No, never." I laughed. "But I think it's time. I don't want to raise our baby in Scotland's tradition."

"Yeah, if that's a boy I don't want to see him wearing a skirt," he made a joke.

"You see my point?"

"OK, let's go back."

* * *

><p><em>It was a funny situation because when Lex and Julie were on the plane Clark flew to Scotland only to find no one there.<em>

_So he got back to Smallville._

* * *

><p>We came back but we only told Chloe and she was the one waiting for us in the mansion… well, with her husband.<p>

"Julie!" we were so happy to see each other. We hugged and then she hugged Lex.

"You two still look great together!" she exclaimed.

"Oliver…" Lex welcomed his old college friend.

"Hey, I'm Julie…" I shook Oliver's hand.

"Lex, how did you do that?" Oliver asked.

"What?"

"Got this wonderful girl! You!"

We laughed.

"There's something you need to know…" Chloe said.

"Something bad?"

"No… not at all... rather funny… Clark flew to Scotland this morning to see you."

"Well… we missed him," Lex laughed. "Look, honey, we've missed the superfast Clark."

"Lex…" I started warningly.

"I know! You want me to get rid of this grave we put to fake your death… OK… hands full of…"

"Not at all." We turned round and saw Tess. "Hey, Lex, hey, Julie…" she nodded. "I took care of everything… I talked to the press this morning and about this time…" she looked at her watch, "the grave's being removed."

"Thank you, Tess." I smiled to her.

"So, I presume that I'm fired," Tess said looking at Lex.

"I thought about… cooperation, what are you saying? You did a pretty good job without me around."

She finally smiled back.

"It will be an honor, Lex."


	25. Chapter 25 THE WEDDING

I was surprised when Clark didn't show up. Well… maybe it was for the best, because I didn't want any contact with him. I preferred to stay away.

I was at the Talon many times with Chloe and Olivier, even with Lex… we met Lois – Clark's fiancée, but there was no sign of Clark himself.

"He's ashamed of what he'd done," Chloe said and she was probably right.

"Yes, I don't want to see him either," Lex added. "Do you Julie?" he asked putting his arms around me.

"No." And that was the truth.

Clark finally came in the day of my and Lex's wedding.

He couldn't chose better, I thought sarcastically.

One minute I was standing in front of the mirror in my wedding dress – left alone for only ten minutes – and in another there he was. Behind me.

"Clark…" he scared me. "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked him turning around.

"I know you don't want to see me…"

"Hell no!"

"I've just spoken to Lex…"

"And he's OK?" I asked. "You didn't try to kill him?"

"No… of course…"

"Good… you really got better, but it doesn't mean that I'm going to be your friend again."

"I'm not expecting you to… Lex actually threw me out…"

* * *

><p><em>A few minutes earlier:<em>

"_Really? In my wedding day?" Lex asked when he saw Clark in the door. "Couldn't you pick up a better day?... It's over Clark, it really is."_

_"You told me she was dead." Yes, Clark was about to apologize but in the end those words came out of his mouth._

_"Look… sometimes you have to the right thing no matter what the cost."_

_"And that is your answer?"_

_"I only did what she asked me for. It was HER idea, Clark, no mine, her. And you know what? That was a great idea, we had a really good time in Scotland. Now, when we're back… we want you to stay away from us so get out before I call the security."_

* * *

><p>"I think you really should've listened to Lex," I noticed. "Or shall I call for the security?"<p>

"No need… I'm gone…" he looked so sad, so miserable… but it didn't make me feel sorry for him. No, he'd done enough to me.

"You have a really good fiancée… don't you let her go," I said and it was all I could do for him.

* * *

><p>Finally.<p>

We'd been waiting for this day to come for years…

Yes, years, we'd wanted to get married two months after we'd met, but it took years to finally seal the deal.

I became Mrs Luthor and my dream finally came true.

Now I could start a family.

I could see the same expression on Lex's face.

Everything was perfect. Everything…

* * *

><p><em>Clark was standing in the back, hidden behind the column, watching the wedding… Even Lois was invited but not him… well, he could as well sneaked in.<em>

_When Lex and Julie finally got married and walked out of the church Lex turned his head and saw him. He was too happy to be mad this time so he just smirked like he wanted to tell Clark "I am the winner" and got into the car right after his wife._

_That was the moment Clark felt everything… he felt every single bad thing that he'd done to them and it made him feel sick. How could he'd done that? How? Why? What had blinded him so much? Had he been so desperate for a relationship after Lana had left that he'd wanted Julie for all cost?_

_"Hey…" Lois noticed him and came closer. "Are you alright?"_

_"How can you love me?" he suddenly asked her looking at her closely. "I am a monster."_

_"What?" she was concerned and touched by his sentence. "You are not a monster, you just lost your way but you found it again…" she said and kissed him._

* * *

><p>"I don't know if I want to read this… we're on our honeymoon after all…" I said awhile sitting on Lex's lap.<p>

We were on the private beach under the palms.

"Let's read it and get it over with… and have sex later," he smiled snatching the letter from me.

It was from Clark.

"I am so very sorry for what I have done to you, I see it now and…" Lex started reading and rubbed my belly.

The letter was indeed very touching but…

"I don't know if I'm able to forgive him…" I said. "Maybe I'll never do that..."

"Maybe…"


	26. Chapter 26 FORGIVENESS

Another few years passed by…

Lex and I were raising our daughter - Rosalie - and it was perfect. She had the perfect childhood Lex and I had never had. Lex wasn't spending much time in his company, he trusted Tess completely and she didn't have any kids so the situation for all of us was very convenient.

What surprised me was the fact that what I felt for him didn't fade away with time. It got stronger. I was always assuming that after so much time spent together, after so many years of marriage (maybe not so many, because we still had our lives ahead) our feelings would be weaker but not…

We felt like we just met what was really amazing.

Although we were living in Smallville we hadn't seen Clark since our wedding day. He lived in Metropolis with his wife – Lois - and they were also very happy. They moved because they wanted to be closer to their workplace in The Daily Planet and also because Clark was using his abilities to save people there now.

Maybe Lex and I were one of the reasons he was doing that, he wanted to redeem himself and obviously he figured he had to help if he could.

Every piece of information we had about Clark came from Chloe. I was seeing her at least twice a week, we were also making double dates very often. Sometimes we went to the opera – I with Lex, she with Oliver, sometimes to the cinema or to dance.

And sometimes we didn't because I wanted to go somewhere with Lex alone.

One day Chloe brought revealing news… it wasn't actually Lex pictured on the cave's wall. It was never about Lex. Lex wasn't Clark's ultimate destroyer… his ultimate enemy…

There was another boy that landed on Earth the day of the meteor shower and he came from another planet too.

We stayed away from that case, but we knew that Clark, Oliver and their vigilante friends had a lot of trouble with getting rid of him. Finally they succeeded.

He was called the Beast. Not very original, right?

* * *

><p>The day finally came. The day we bumped into each other.<p>

We were buying a Christmas tree – normally somebody working for us in the mansion would do that, but our daughter insisted so we went shopping together as a family – and we saw Clark and Lois.

I didn't really know what to say. It seemed that Lex didn't either.

"Mummy, who is that man?" Rosalie asked me pulling my dress and when I didn't answer she turned to Lex. "Daddy...?"

"Hey, Clark," Lex finally spoke.

"Hey… Juliet…"

"Clark…" I said and turned to his wife. "Lois, how are you?"

And that was the very moment we decided to drop our feuds once and for all.

It was Christmas Eve after all and so many years had passed by that we didn't even have any bad feelings toward Clark anymore. Time took care of it. Clark had truly changed and maybe even what he'd done made mine and Lex's love so much stronger?

"It's ok," Lex finally said. "It's time…" he reached his hand out to Clark who – with slight hesitation – took it.

"Wow…" Chloe and Oliver with their little son just showed up.

"So, this is your daughter?" Lois asked us.

"Yes… it's Rosalie."

"She's beautiful… and of course, red-headed."

"Yes, with mine natural red and Lex's…" I noticed because before Lex had lost his hair it'd been red.

"Will you come to our farm today? For a Christmas dinner?" Lois suggested.

"Well… OK…" I was surprised that Lex agreed but… yes, it was time to forgive and to move on.

* * *

><p>Mr and Mrs Kent were very happy to see us. Little red Rosalie immediately won their hearts.<p>

"So… how are you doing, Julie?" Mrs Kent turned to me and I looked at Lex.

"Can I say it, honey?" I asked him.

"They will know eventually…" he smiled mysteriously.

"Well… I'm pregnant again," I finished.

"Congratulations!"

* * *

><p><em>Clark went to the terrace. Lex was already there.<em>

_"Hey…" he said feeling a little uncomfortable. "It was hell of a past with my lies and those things I'd done…"_

_"Yeah… Clark, it was…" Lex admitted._

_"But… I would've never personally killed you, Lex… I know that now…"_

_"Can we not talk about it anymore?" Lex suggested._

_"But there's something you have to know… your father was sure you would survive the poisoning…"_

_"Really? I suspected that…"_

_"Yes, he wanted Juliet to think you were dead and then he would try to wipe out the memories you had of her."_

_"So, it was a good think that I made him think I was actually dead."_

_"He never truly believed it."_

_"But he couldn't find me either... You know what hurts the most? My father never loved me… he preferred even you for his son than me."_

_"He seemed like that because he knew my secret…"_

_"Well… I think he was the one who pushed you, am I right?"_

_Clark looked down._

_"I am," Lex answered to himself. "If you objected he would have…"_

_"Yeah, he kind of threatened me he would've taken me to the lab… experimented on me… and instead he offered me the girl of my dreams."_

_"If she's still the girl of your dreams I'm pulling out the green kryptonite right now," Lex laughed, joking.  
><em>

_"No, she's not, I really do love Lois," and before Clark could even realize what he was doing he patted Lex's back._

_Lex patted his back and they were OK again._

* * *

><p>"Lex… hm… we're all good I see…" I saw them together. Smiling. Like the best friends they'd used to be once.<p>

"I guess," Lex said reaching his hand out to me so I took it and came closer.

"Julie… I think it was all my father's fault… not even Clark's in the first place… Lionel was a manipulative son of a bitch and it was a good thing that I killed him. He had that destructive ability of bringing out the worse in people, even the best ones," he looked back at Clark.

"Well… speak a little louder and your daughter will hear it, I think we agreed not to mention that ever again. It was a burglar," I said warningly.

"Of course, honey. " He kissed my head. "But you still love me, don't you?"

"I could've never stopped… let's go… Mrs Kent says that dinner's ready…"

And there we are. Together again.

It was one of those days I could look back and remember only the good things from the past.

I looked at Lex.

It was the greatest success of my life…

I remembered when I'd first bumped into him, when we'd first kissed, made love… when he'd carried me the whole way to the hospital to save my life…

It was always Lex.

**THE END**


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